


Mending Hearts

by SirJoker



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-09-15 13:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 29,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9236669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirJoker/pseuds/SirJoker
Summary: Clara Oswald had just moved in to a small town in the south coast and every evening with out fail, she would see a man, the Doctor, sitting on a bench and doing nothing but stare at the sea. [University AU]





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! :)
> 
> So here's a new multi-chapter story that I came up with - I actually had this idea for a while now but wasn't entirely sure if it's any good to begin with and eventually, I decided to give it a try. 
> 
> I cannot promise lightning fast updates with this story (like last time) unfortunately, but I will try to publish a new chapter whenever I can. Thanks for your support and see you in the next chapter! :)

_"Ladies and gentlemen, we will shortly be arriving at platform 4 and this service terminates here. Please make sure you have all your belongings with you when leaving the train. Thank you."_

The announcement made by the ticket officer could be heard loud and clear despite the noise of the train slowing down as it gets into its designated platform. A number of passengers had already stood up from their seats and paced toward the doors regardless of the coach still being in motion.

Some people carried nothing, some had a small bag while others had a suitcase or two with them. It was an unusually bright and sunny afternoon and the train station wasn't all too packed but the lovely weather did prompt people to go outside.

There were a number of people in platform 2 waiting for their train. Clara Oswald could see them clearly from the windows and she stood up as soon as the coach was still. Pushing her rather large suitcase, she got off the train and proceeded to the lift. There was no way she was going to carry her luggage up the stairs just to reach the entrance on the other side of the platform.

_"The train now approaching platform 2 is the 15:45 Southern service to Brighton. Customers wishing to travel to London Victoria can change at Brighton."_  


She couldn't help but think that the town seems lovely even though she had only moved in a few days ago. The large suitcase she was dragging contained the last of her belongings she had cleared from her flat in London. She made an impulse decision to move away from the city when she received an offer from her new school and surprisingly enough, her family had been supportive of her decision.

The walk from the train station to her new flat took about twenty minutes, fifteen if she didn't have to drag her luggage up the hill but eventually, she made it to her new home. In a way, a bigger flat just seemed like a breath of fresh air compared to her old one which was small and compact.

A new home, a new town and a new beginning. She was sure that was all she needed. And so far, things look promising. Her landlady who lives on the top floor, Donna, was very welcoming and kind when Clara first moved in.

Donna was at her doorstep the moment Clara had finished unpacking her items, holding a box of cake in her hands. Clara couldn't remember the last time her neighbours had been so friendly and warm but then again, London was full of people who tend to mind their own business and not care much about other people so she was more than happy to accept the change.

The two got on well and as it turns out, Donna owns a bookshop in old town.

Yes, Clara could see herself get settled in quickly. Lovely town, lovely people.

The moment Clara had unpacked the last of her belongings, her phone rang. The name of the person who was phoning her flashed on screen and she smiled before answering the call.

"Hello, Clara Oswald speaking!"

"Clara dear," a woman on the other end began. "How are you? Did you manage to reach your flat without too much hassle?" her grandmother joked.

"Just barely, nan," she chuckled.

The day went by fairly quickly and before Clara knew it, was already dark outside and she could barely make out the surroundings thanks to a lamp post situated on the other side of the road. She could still several people walking about but much less compared to when the sun was still up.

The weekend passed and as much as she enjoyed exploring the new town, Clara was looking forward to start teaching again.

"… And this is where the science labs are," the headmaster explained as he showed Clara around the school on Monday morning. "Most classes are located on the first floor," he continued explaining, walking up the stairs until they stood right in front of a class room. "Right, I think I've explained all that you need to know and thank you so much for accepting the offer, Miss Oswald. We have been short on staff since the start of term."

Clara flashed a smile. "I'm happy to be here, Mr Napier."

Mr Napier nodded. "I shall let you get to know your students and inspire them, then."

Her first lesson with the Year 8 students went without a hitch. Her students were definitely lovely but one particular student reminded her of Courtney Woods and Clara hoped that it wasn't the case on the long term. Another Courtney Woods in her new school was the last thing she needed.

On her way back to her flat at the end of the day, Clara stopped by at a café to get herself a cup of tea. It was getting darker by the minute and as she held the cup in one hand and her phone in the other, replying a message from her father, she bumped into a man and nearly spilled her drink on him. Luckily, the man was fast enough to keep her hand steady by gripping her arm.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized and looked up, locking eyes with what she would have described as piercing and he looked rather annoyed. But it was mostly the eyebrows that terrified her a bit.

The man pursed his lips and glanced at her phone before glancing back at her. "Yes, well," he said. The man is Scottish judging by the accent. "Watch where you're going next time. Maybe not having your eyes glued to the phone would help," he then let go of her arm before walking in the opposite direction.

Clara was too stunned by his rudeness to have said anything and by the time she had recovered, she glared at the man and uttered, "Jerk."

Her change of mood did not go unnoticed when she returned home. Donna, who was walking down the staircase saw Clara attempting to unlock the door and greeted her. "Hello, Clara! How was your first day at your new school?" her smile dropped when she saw the look of annoyance on her new tenant's face. "What's the matter? Did something happen?"

"Oh yes, school was fine. Lovely students. It's just that I bumped into a rude arse just now and nearly spilled my tea on him and he said I shouldn't have my eyes glued to my phone."

"Was this so called 'rude arse' wearing a black coat and around six foot tall and sports a Scottish accent?"

Clara blinked a couple of times before asking, "How did you know?"

"You've met the martian then!"

"I'm sorry, who?"

Donna grinned. "I tend to call him a martian since he's so quiet and reserved and yes, a bit rude. The man, he's the Doctor and he moved in just a month ago. Lives just around the corner. I'm not sure what he does for a living but he does visit my bookshop often."

"The Doctor?" Clara repeated, finally unlocking the door to her flat.

"Yes."

"What does he have a PhD on? Rudeness?"

"Probably, but you shouldn't let it get to you. That's just how he is I guess," Donna reasoned.

"I hope I don't see him or bump into him ever again," Clara snorted before entering her flat.

She meant what she said. While she was used to rude behaviour since he had lived in London for quite some time, Clara couldn't help but think the Doctor is on a completely different level so avoiding him is a must.

The funny thing is, when the universe wants to bring two people together, things will start to fall into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I deliberately left out the name of the town and made fun of Southern Railway a bit (because of all those ridiculous strikes) ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor receives a phone call from his sister.

John Smith let out a tired sigh before he took a seat on one of a bench over looking the sea and old town below.

He had been living in here for a month now and yet, he still couldn't see the point of it. The university, or rather, his sister had suggested he go on sabbatical for a year.

Of course, when she had first suggested it to him, the idea was met with nothing but resistance. John had argued that there would be no point in him just sitting at home doing nothing.

"I don't see the point of it, Missy," the Doctor hissed as he glared at the woman seated behind the desk.

Missy, who was busy marking a paper, never looked up as she spoke, "Well, I see the point of it. You're going on sabbatical. Yay!" she then waved her pen in the air in a sarcastic manner.

John closed his eyes for a brief moment and let out a defeated sigh before taking a seat in front of his sister. "Look, if this is because of my lack of research progress, then I-"

"I think a small town in the south coast would do you good, too," she added, smirking.

Sometimes, it was just too difficult to change his sister's mind once it is set but the Doctor wasn't going down without a fight. He had no intentions what so ever to leave London and let alone, live in a small town for the next 12 months.

"I'm not agreeing to this," John growled.

"Yes you are," Missy insisted as she looked up and gave her brother a bored look. "Allow me to give you reasons why you should take sabbatical leave. One, I'm your sister so I know what's best for you. Two, you're going nowhere with your work so I'm giving you all the time you need."

"Those are hardly relevant."

"And three, students have been complaining that you're not doing your job properly. According to last year's survey, you got an average of 2 out of 5 points for student satisfaction."

This time, the Doctor fell silent. He knew it was true. They were right. He was slowly losing his passion for teaching. He was slowly hating his job that he once loved so much. He was slowly losing the very few things he cared about.

Missy grinned when she saw the look on the Doctor's face. "See, I'm right. I win. Now then, you'll start your sabbatical next week."

John always hated it when his sister is right. And now here he was, in a small town just an hour away from Brighton. He hated the town the day he moved in to his new home. Everyone was just so… sociable. He had spent most of his life in London and people hardly acknowledge you and he loved it. He could dress up as a magician with a guitar strapped over his shoulder and nobody would look twice.

Maybe he just needed more time to get used to the new environment and finally get work done or maybe this was all a huge mistake. He would love to prove Missy wrong for once.

The Doctor's train of thought was interrupted when the phone in his pocket began ringing. He scoffed over the name of the caller before swiping the screen to answer the call.

"Hello, John! How's life going for you there?" Missy said on the other end of the line.

"Boring," he grunted, looking at the calm waters of the sea. He could imagine his sister rolling her eyes at his expected response.

"Let me guess, all you did today was lock yourself in your room like a 12 year old going through a phase."

"What do you want?" John demanded, a little too harshly.

"I just wanted to know how you've been doing – I mean the last time we were in contact was when you moved in and then poof! It's like you disappeared. Just wanted to be sure that you haven't kicked the bucket. I'd resurrect you and then slap your head for that."

John said nothing as he waited for Missy to continue. He looked up and saw a few seagulls flying in the direction of the beach.

"Are those seagulls I hear? Well, that's interesting. You're actually out and about!"

John cleared his throat and meekly said, "Yes."

He could have sworn he felt his sister grinning widely. Missy was about to make fun of him. All he could do now was brace for the sheer amount of teasing and roasting she would unleash.

"And here I thought the Grumpy Doctor was indoors, glaring at his research paper and hating the current predicament he's in!" Missy exclaimed. "Or maybe I should say 'who are you and what have you done with the Doctor?'"

"Are you done?" John grumbled.

"No, not really. Just wanted to inform you that I checked your house the other day to make sure that everything is ok in case you're wondering."

"Thanks, even though I didn't ask you to."

But it was still kind of her to check up on his home in London.

"And speaking of London, I'm taking over all your modules for the second year!" his sister revealed enthusiastically although John couldn't really tell if she was genuinely happy or just being her usual sarcastic-self. Probably the latter.

"But you're a Physicist."

"That doesn't mean I don't know the basics! You know what they say – Physics is just-"

"-the Maths Mathematicians don't want to deal with," John finished as he watched the sunset.

"Exactly! Besides, Amy and Kate will be handling your third year modules so everything is in good hands."

"Yes, thank you for giving me information that I don't really need to know," the Doctor said as he rose from the bench.

"Also, one of my PhD students is teaching your first year module."

John furrowed his brow. "I thought I told you that I didn't want any PhD students teaching my modules," he grumbled, walking in a steady pace.

"Well it sucks to be you since I don't have the time to teach it and neither do Amy and Kate and he's not so bad. Quite good, actually. You've met him before, remember? Name's John, too. Wears a bowtie. Has a massive crush on Amy."

Oh, that's right. Missy's favourite PhD student. John had met him a couple of times back when the boy was in his first year of his research degree. A bit odd but then again, nobody is really normal these days. Not even John himself but the one thing he found amusing was Bowtie's crush on Amy.

"Is he still unaware that Amy is married?"

"Can't really blame Bowtie since Rory works in Medical school and they hardly see each other during office hours."

"Well, if that's all then I'm going to hang up now," the Doctor said but all he heard was a chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"I can see or at least hear that you're slowly returning back to your normal-self. Not quite there yet but there is progress. Toodles," Missy said before she hung up, preventing John from asking any further questions.

The Doctor could only stare at his phone as it beeped for a couple of seconds before the call ended. He will admit that the town does give him a sense of peace that a city couldn't and that was it. He didn't really understood what Missy had meant but brushed the thought away. It was probably just her way of messing with him.

He pocketed his phone and took a left back to his temporary home. As he was walking down the hill, a woman bumped into him and his hand automatically gripped her arm to stop her from spilling her hot drink. That would have been quite a mess had he not reacted quickly.

"I'm so sorry!" the woman apologized profusely.

John could have just said it was fine or that it wasn't a big deal. No, the moment he locked eyes with her. His brain decided to give up. As in, not functioning properly anymore. Usually, he would have just brushed it off and walked away, but no. He was speechless for a second and the next thing he knew, his mouth moved by itself or at least the logical part of his brain was controlling it. Not that it made much difference.

"Yes, well," he said. "Watch where you're going next time. Maybe not having your eyes glued to the phone would help," he wasn't trying to sound rude. He really wasn't, but it was a logical thing to do when walking. Never glue your eyes to your phone.

It was then he realized that he was still holding her arm and released his grip before walking away as quickly as possible. He could feel his ears burning and didn't understand why. All he knew was that he needed to go home as quickly as possible.


	3. Chapter 3

"Are you looking forward to another year with the Doctor?" asked a student anxiously to his friend as they made their way to the lecture hall.

His friend merely shrugged and said, "I don't know, I mean, he wasn't really helpful last year, was he? Just talked about the topic and left. Didn't even upload the solutions for the past papers. Don't get me wrong, he does a good job of explaining things but that's it."

The second-year student nodded his head in agreement. "I just hope he won't do the same thing this year. Claire said the Doctor wasn't always so unhelpful and grumpy. She told me he was the best lecturer she ever had."

The other snorted. "Claire's a PhD student, right? That was ages ago."

Both students, James and Andrew reached the lecture hall which was only occupied by less than twenty students and they knew why so many of the Maths students decided not to take the module.

They took their seat in the second row and waited patiently for their lecturer to arrive. As soon as the clock on the wall struck 10, a woman walked into the room and dropped her backpack on the swivelling chair behind the desk.

The students were baffled by the woman's sudden appearance that the room fell quiet instantly. James and Andrew exchanged looks before paying their attention back to their new lecturer.

"Hello," she said in an unenthusiastic, bored tone. "I'm Missy."

Her short introduction was followed by an eerie silence which made Missy roll her eyes. A student raised her hand and she nodded as a sign of allowing her to speak.

"I'm sorry, but is this MMD12?"

"Yes."

There was another awkward silence that followed.

"Where's Professor Smith?"

"I'm Professor Smith," Missy said. "… too."

Her students looked even more confused than before and Missy decided to give them an explanation. "If you're wondering about the accuracy of the timetable, then yes, it's correct. I'm Professor Missy Smith, nice to meet you all," she uttered. "And if you're wondering about the Doctor, the other Professor Smith, then he's on sabbatical leave. I'm taking over this module and no, I'm not his wife or his cousin or his cousin's father's sister's niece or related to Dr Sarah Jane Smith from the History department. I'm his sister. The Scottish accent should have given you a clue."

Missy then finally grinned at her students. "Welcome to MMD12, Linear Mathematics! For the next 24 weeks, I will be teaching you everything from Vector Spaces to Bases to Eigenvalues to Fourier Series!"

The second-year Maths students who are doomed to MMD12 didn't say anything, too afraid of Missy's odd manner. If there was one thing they were certain of, it's that none of the Smith siblings sound sane, especially Professor Smith Two. Some of them wondered if there was still time to switch to a different module but deep down, they knew the truth.

They were about to experience an interesting academic year with her it seems.

"So, now that introductions are out of the way, we might as well start our first lecture, no? Vector Spaces, do I need to say more?" Missy began with a terrifying grin.

Yes, the second-year Maths students who were taking MMD12 were doomed.

The Doctor couldn't explain why he had reacted in such a stupid way when he had bumped into the woman the other day. The woman with the round face, brunette hair and inflatable eyes. Maybe that was why he reacted in such a way. Her then inflating eyes caught his attention. He had never seen eyes that could inflate, well, until yesterday that is.

Nevertheless, he felt bad for being rude to her. The Doctor wasn't sure if he wished never to see her again to avoid further embarrassment or to hope that they'd cross paths once more so that he could apologize. Sometimes he wished he was an alien to avoid having so much emotions.

John was currently behind his desk, laptop running, papers strewn all over the desk and a 'My Sister Went to Stockholm and All I Got Was This Lousy Mug' mug next to the laptop. He had started his morning with a quick breakfast before retreating to his study to try and work on his research but his mind was haywire. It just refused to cooperate every time he tried to focus.

He was sure that he was slowly turning mad as just over a year ago, he was fine. Not entirely happy but content with his life. It all began when he discovered the secret his late wife, River Song kept from him.

Their marriage was also short lived when she succumbed to her illness just months after they had wedded. He had managed to move on but couldn't bring himself to find love again. It was tedious and he knew it would cause tremendous pain in the end.

But the very thing that made John crack was when he found out River was married to another man. He felt like a fool and it made him realize that the woman he married turned out to be someone he didn't know very well after all.

It has been 24 years since her death and he couldn't have felt more pain than when he had discovered the truth. So much for being a doctor. He might as well call himself Doctor Idiot.

John closed his eyes momentarily before he opened them, determined to at least be productive for once. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case as he kept scribbling various equations on sheets of paper, only scrunch them up and toss them aside.

Hours later, the Doctor decided to stop working. He wasn't able to write anything useful so why should he continue any further when he knew the end result? He was seriously considering giving Missy a phone call and informing her the sabbatical is a waste of time and resources but was spared from doing so when his phone vibrated.

Grabbing it from the edge of the desk, he read the text message Missy had sent him.

_'Had my first lecture with your students today. They all miss you and wondered where you were. How cute.'_  


John frowned as he read the message. Missy was obviously teasing him.

He decided to not write a reply and resume his work when the smartphone vibrated again.

_'I know you've read the message'_  


He took a quick glanced and rolled his eyes before placing the phone on the desk again. Another message was received.

_'Oi, John Smith, I'm talking to you'_  


Having had enough of being distracted and annoyed by his sister, the Doctor quickly wrote a very short and simple reply.

_'Don't bother me.'_  


The last message he received from her that day from Missy was a frowning emoji and one he didn't expect at all – the middle finger.

For the first time in a while, he chuckled. John read the message again before he put his phone to sleep before stuffing it in his pocket.

He decided to go out and have some fresh air after being cooped up in the house for hours and hours.

He had told himself it would be a quick walk. He wouldn't linger around the park or sit on the bench to enjoy the sunset but his body betrayed him. Instead, he found himself where he would be every evening, sitting on the same bench to enjoy the view. There was just something about it that made his mind clear. The calmness and silence of it all was relaxing and all his sorrows were temporarily forgotten.

Once the Doctor had had enough time admiring the view, he rose from the bench and headed back to his new home. As he was walking down the road, he locked eyes with another person who he half-expected to see in such short notice. It was the woman with the round face and inflatable eyes.

John noticed she wasn't holding a cup of coffee or tea or whatever she was drinking this time. Instead, she was holding a stack of books. "You didn't buy a drink this time," he pointed out awkwardly.

The woman merely arched an eyebrow over his odd observation. She didn't seem cross with him. "Umm, no, not this time."

The Doctor needed to apologize to her now before his mouth decides to move on its own. "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn't mean to be rude."

What surprised him was her reaction. She was laughing. "It's ok. It happens and I wasn't really looking where I was going. Could have burned you or something."

John relaxed a bit and gave her a small smile. "Yeah, who would have thought hot drinks would be hazardous."

They shared a smile before the woman introduced herself. "I'm Clara, by the way. You must be the Doctor."

He was surprised when she knew who he was. "I'm sorry, have we met before?"

"Oh no, it's just that my landlady told me who you were. You frequent her bookshop."

Well that explains it. The woman in the bookshop who would always look at him as if he was some sort of alien or creature from a different world.

"Ah, that makes sense," the Doctor murmured before he cleared his throat. "So you're not still cross about yesterday, are you?"

Again, Clara giggled. "I don't think I'd be talking to you right now if I were. It's getting dark so it's best that I'd be on my way. See you later," she said.

The Doctor said nothing as Clara walked past him, towards her flat. He then resumed walking and thought nothing of his encounter with Clara even though a part of him wondered how her eyes could inflate.

Clara on the other hand, became even more curious. The Doctor is a bit shy and awkward but the man clearly had an air of intelligence. Maybe they'll meet again and she could get to know him a better. He certainly isn't the arse she had made him out to be.


	4. Chapter 4

If Clara was completely honest with herself, she would have admitted that the Doctor wasn't as much of a jerk as she thought he was. In fact, she had thought that his shyness was rather cute.

What caught her attention most on their second encounter was not his attitude or his rather expressive eyebrows but his trousers. Clara was sure that the Doctor is in his early 50s or late 40s and she has never in her life, seen a man of his age wear plaid trousers before.

When she reached her flat, she saw Donna getting out of her car.

"You look like you've had an interesting day," Donna commented with a smile.

Clara beamed and adjusted the books she was carrying in her arms. "I did actually – bumped into the Doctor again and he apologised for his rude behaviour," she explained, waiting for the landlady to unlock the front door.

"The Doctor actually said more than two words? That's new."

"But that wasn't the best part – he was wearing plaid trousers."

Donna shot Clara an amused look. "See, I told you. The man's a Martian."

Her tenant merely giggled at her far-fetched claim as both entered the building.

"Next thing you know, you end up in his time-machine or you're kidnapped by an alien Santa-robot!"

Clara arched a brow as she stood in front of the flat while Donna continued to walk up the steps to hers. "I doubt he has a time-machine and I definitely doubt there's alien Santa-robots running around."

"You never know these days!" Donna exclaimed. "See ya."

Once Clara was able to enter her flat after struggling balancing her students' books in one arm while unlocking the door with the other, she let out a sigh of relief before leaving the books on the kitchen table.

She decided to make some tea, feeling the day taking its toll on her. While she was enjoying her job in a new school, memories of the past still had a habit of resurfacing in her mind.

Clara glanced at the books sitting innocently on the table as she waiting for the kettle to boil. It had been more than two years. Two painful years of losing Danny and yet, it felt as if he died just yesterday.

She was beginning to wonder if coming to this small town was a mistake. Everything still reminded her of Danny. Clara felt her eyes moisten and closed her eyes for a moment to stop the tears. No, she had to be strong. She had to be.

John's day had turned out to be the complete opposite of productive. He had slaved away hour after hour the following morning into his work and yet, his mind refused to cooperate once again and he was getting more frustrated each time.

His mind seemed to be wandering off else where rather than focusing on his research. Damn his mind. Damn his heart.

Letting out a defeated sigh, he took of his reading glasses and gently placed them on the desk before massaging his forehead. "This is going nowhere."

The Doctor glanced at his watch and pondered. The bookshop he frequented closes at five and he could pop in really quickly to get the book he needed for his research, if it has it in stock, of course or he could just order it online.

He considered his options carefully before opening his laptop. Typing in the name of the book, he waited for the website to produce the search results.

"Five days?!" he exclaimed, reading the estimated shipping time again.

He didn't have the patience to wait for a book that long.

A decision was made. John was walking to the bookstore. When he reached the town centre it was half an hour before closing time and so, he made his way quickly to the one place where he hoped would have the book he needed.

The bell chimed as he entered the shop and a friendly voice with a London accent greeted him. "Hello, Doctor, fancy seeing you here again."

"Hi, yes," he replied, almost in a whisper, eyes wandering all over the bookshelves before he walked towards the counter. "I was wondering if you happen to have this book in stock," he said and produced a small piece of paper from his jacket pocket.

Donna read the slip and furrowed her brows. "I don't think we have it but I could check."

John nodded as he saw Donna type the name of the book on the computer.

"Yeah, we don't have this book but I could place an order for it. It's going to take two to three days."

A couple of days was certainly a lot better than five. "That's fine."

Once Donna finished ordering the book, she gave him the order receipt and a form. "I'll let you know when the book gets here but I need your phone number for that so if you could just fill in the form, that would be great."

While John was filling up the form, she decided to strike up a conversation with him. "Clara told me she nearly burned you with her coffee just a couple of days ago."

At mention of Clara's name, the Doctor immediately looked up from the form. Confusion was written all over his face and Donna decided to spare him from questioning her.

"She's my tenant."

John silently nodded before completing the form and handing it back to Donna.

"Right, that's it really. Once the book's here, I'll phone you."

"Thank you," the Doctor said before stepping outside.

Not wanting to return home just yet, John made his way to the park. The weather was nice, although it was a bit chilly. The park was as expected, a lot less crowded than the town centre and much more peaceful.

Taking his seat at his favourite bench, John watched the waves of ocean move periodically. He couldn't help but smile when reminded of his days an undergraduate, learning all about the wave equation.

His thoughts then drifted to his late wife. How could she break his heart like this? Was she ever going to tell him the truth? John would have been lying if he said he wasn't upset but what broke his heart the most was the thought of being played. He loved River dearly despite their short-lived marriage.

The Doctor's train of thought was interrupted when he heard a familiar voice.

"Do you always go here every evening?" Clara asked curiously, keeping her distance.

John turned and was greeted by the sight of her in a black coat. He immediately rose from the bench. The cold air had caused her to button her coat all the way up and hair blowing in the same direction as the wind.

"Yes," the murmured, mesmerised for a second by her beauty before quickly gazing back at the ocean. "It's nice and quiet up here."

Slowly, Clara moved closer until she stood next to John. "It is definitely nice here."

"It is," he agreed awkwardly before taking his seat once again. His companion joined him shortly after.

Both sat in silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say to the other but it was Clara who finally decided to break the ice.

"Is it alright if I ask you something? I'm just curious."

John glanced at her. "I suppose it depends on the question. What is it?"

"Is it your name really 'Doctor'?"

Clara saw the Doctor's eyes bulge before he let out a chuckle. "No, no, that's just my nickname, I guess. People always call me that."

"So what's your actual name then?"

John licked his lips and said. "I'm afraid you'll be very disappointed. It's a very generic name."

She gave him a playful look. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad. I told you mine – it's only fair if you tell me yours."

"Amadeus Pepperidge Cumbersnatch," John said with a serious face.

When the name he had given her rolled off his tongue, she had thought he was serious until she saw the glint in his eyes. Clara let out a small laugh, realizing he was simply joking. "And here I thought you were the serious type."

The Doctor beamed at her. "I am not a robot, Clara."

"My landlady thinks you're a Martian."

John shot her a surprised look. "A Martian?" he repeated. "But I'm not from Mars. I would have been fine if she said I'm from Space Glasgow."

"Are you really from Space Glasgow, then?"

"Yes."

They shared a laugh before John cleared his throat and told Clara his actual name. "John Smith. That's my name. Told you it would be a generic one."

"Still a lot better than Amadeus Pepperidge Cumbersnatch," Clara commented before taking a quick glance at her phone. "Right, it's getting late."

She rose from her seat and grabbed her belongings before smiling at John. "It was nice chatting with you, Amadeus Pepperidge Cumbersnatch."

"And you, Clara…"

"Oswald. Clara Oswald"

"Clara Oswald," John repeated her name, rolling the 'r'.

She turned and walked away before stopping a few seconds later. "Will you be here tomorrow?" she asked, almost nervously.

"I might. I usually am, it seems," he said, tiredly.

Clara found it odd how he said it as if it was more like a burden to him. It piqued her curiosity of him even more. Without another word, she left the park.

If Clara didn't know any better, he was probably here the same reason why she was in the first place but she shook the thought away. She found it hard to believe that he was a man trying to move on from his past. Why else would he wear a wedding ring in the first place?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I would love to update regularly (since I'm on Easter break), I am unfortunately busy with uni so I'll try to make the best of it. And thank you for your patience and support! Enjoy chapter 5!

"Good morning, everybody," the headmaster greeted as he strolled into the teacher's lounge. A frantic look washed over his face. "As you are all aware, we are currently in need of a Maths tutor and I've contacted several universities, asking if they have any students willing to help… well, it's been over a month and there hasn't been a single response."

All teachers exchanged glances before Mr Napier continued, shifting the stack of papers he held under one arm.

"So, if everybody could spread the word or maybe know somebody who would like to volunteer as a Maths tutor that would be really helpful. We're in dire need of one to help the Year 11s prepare for their GCSEs."

Teachers began murmuring and it didn't help alleviate Mr Napier's anxiety. "Right, that is all I wanted to say. Good day."

"How long has the school been looking for a tutor?" Clara asked one her colleagues as soon as the headmaster disappeared out of the room.

"Oh, it's been since the start of the term, I think. Last year's Maths results weren't too promising and parents have been hounding Mr Napier since."

Clara wasn't sure why but the first person that came to mind was the Doctor. She barely knew him but she had been told he could be a university lecturer, according to Donna. Maybe she could ask him if he stills goes to the park.

"Just be sure to tell the students that the coursework can be submitted in either hard copy or via turnitin," John said as he read the coursework brief Missy had compiled. "Aside from that, I think the coursework is fine."

The Doctor was about to enjoy his breakfast when his sister decided to video call him early in the morning.

"Joy," Missy retorted, through the speakers of the laptop. "Right, I have a meeting with Bowtie in fifteen minutes so is there anything you'd like to tell me before I go?"

"No," John grunted as he raised the mug of hot chocolate to his lips.

"That reminds me, Amy is almost done compiling her coursework so she should contact you soon."

"Yes, she sent me an email just five minutes ago."

Missy grinned at the webcam. "I'd better be off, then. Can't keep bowtie waiting for too long. Ta!"

The video call ended and the screen redirected to the file John had opened earlier. He had to admit that his sister did a good job writing the coursework question as he went through it again, not that he will ever admit it, but it was reassuring to know that his students are in good hands.

Happy with what he had read so far, the Doctor read Amy's email next and downloaded her part of the coursework brief.

By the time he had finished moderating the document and writing a few comments, the phone began ringing and John immediately answered it.

"John Smith."

"Hello, Doctor," Donna said. "This is Donna from Noble Bookshop – your book has just arrived and I'm sorry it's taken a week for it to arrive."

John furrowed his brows when he realized a week had passed. "Oh, um, that's fine. I'll stop by at the bookshop soon. Thank you."

He put the phone aside and stared out the window. Sometimes he felt as if five minutes was a whole month and now, a week feels like a day. Running a hand through his curly hair, John contemplated whether to just chuck everything, return to London and resume his life, no matter how bitter and boring it is.

Maybe he should just build a time machine and run away.

That still wouldn't help him heal from his past. He was sure nothing ever would.

Clara was sure that the Doctor would be at the park around this time. She had seen him there several times so of course, he would be there like any other day.

But as much as she wanted to ask him if he was interested in volunteering, she wasn't sure if he was a Maths lecturer, as Donna had claimed. Well, her landlady had come to that conclusion after he had purchased several mathematics books.

Donna could be right or she could just be completely wrong and the Doctor is just buying books as a hobby or something.

The closer Clara got to the park, the less convinced she was of approaching the Doctor. She barely knew him and all she knows about him is that he always goes to the park in the evening.

"This might just be a huge mistake," she said to herself, even though her legs kept on dragging her in the direction she wanted to avoid.

As expected, the Doctor was seated on a bench. He held a cup of coffee in one hand as he fiddled with a book he held in the other, in deep thought when suddenly, he heard footsteps.

"Hello, again," Clara greeted with a smile.

The Doctor set his coffee aside and returned her smile. "Ah, Clara Oswald returns."

"I was on my way back home and saw you so I thought I might as well say hi," she said and sat next to him.

She looked down and saw the green book resting on his lap.

'Applied Functional Analysis'

Donna could be right about the Doctor working as a Maths lecturer and there was only one way to find out.

"Doctor, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

John glanced at Clara with a quizzical look on his face before he nodded. "Sure."

"What exactly do you do? I'm just asking because I'm just curious," Clara added hastily.

The Doctor's face brightened slightly and he said, "I'm a lecturer, well, I'm currently on sabbatical right now but yes, I teach Maths and conduct research on topics related to Applied Mathematics."

As soon as John stopped talking, he realized how much he missed teaching and felt as if his love for academia wasn't completely dead after all.

Clara was not only amazed but she was also surprised by his enthusiasm. He sounded so relaxed and comfortable. She was under the impression that he was an author rather than a Mathematician. "You sound as if you love your job."

The Doctor paused for a moment and Clara feared she had said something wrong but when saw him giving her a shy smile, she relaxed.

"Yes, I suppose I do."

"It must be a lot better teaching university students who are willing to pay more attention."

John gave her a boyish grin at Clara's comment. "Well, not always. There are times where you're just wondering why you're there in the first place like this one time with second years where I asked a simple question and everybody went silent, thinking it was a trick question!"

"I do get my fair share of awkward silence, too," Clara added.

"See, they're not that much different – university and secondary students, same thing."

Clara was instantly reminded why she wanted to talk to him at the mention of secondary school students. "That reminds me, the school I'm working at needs a volunteer to work as a Maths tutor and is that something you might be interested in?" she asked nervously.

The Doctor arched a brow and pondered for a moment. It wasn't like he was going anywhere with research at the moment anyway and he has a lot of free time. However, he was still unsure.

"When exactly do I have to come in?"

"Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 to 5. You just need to tutor the Year 11s."

A part of John wanted to say yes immediately but another part was reluctant. "Could I have some time to think about it? I will let you know soon, yeah?"

Clara beamed at him and nodded in agreement. "Of course!"

"Is there a way I can contact you?"

Both exchanged their phone numbers and email addresses.

As soon as Clara had said her goodbye and left the park, John knew he had already made his decision. All he had to do now was wait a bit and make sure Missy never find out that he's beginning to settle in. She would never live it down.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support and reviews. Here's chapter 6!

The Doctor had finally made a decision. For good this time. He had decided to volunteer teaching and had sent an email to Clara, informing her of his decision.

She got back to him on the same day and told him the school will contact him and request the relevant information and documents.

Within a span of less than a week, the Doctor was told he would have to attend an interview before the school is able to give a final decision.

Here John was now, in his bedroom, wearing his Sunday best, or at least that's what he thought.

Looking in the mirror one last time, he straightened his jacket and gave a nod of approval before striding out of the bedroom.

John had been given an address of the school location and took a cab to the location, not wanting to be late or risk getting lost.

To his surprise, Clara was standing by the entrance of the main school building when he reached his destination.

She greeted the Doctor with a warm smile as he got out of the cab and paid the driver. However, there was amusement in her eyes too.

"Nice trousers," she said, nodding her head to the plaid trousers he had decided to put on. He looked more like a rock star wannabe more than a man who's volunteering as a tutor.

"Um, thank you," John said shyly, looking down at his trousers once more. He didn't see anything wrong with them.

They began talking once more as Clara lead him to the school office.

"Is something wrong?" John asked, realizing that Clara still looked amused.

She let out a giggle. "Plaid trousers, really?"

"I like them," he grumbled.

"Well, I suppose it does suit you in a way."

They reached the school office but there was no one behind the desk.

Clara looked around the room. "I guess Mrs May is out but I'm sure she'll be back shortly."

John nodded and said, "I don't mind waiting."

"Are you sure? I have a lesson with the Year 10s in a few minutes but I don't want to leave you alone either."

The Doctor chuckled. "It's fine, Clara. Go off. Can't keep them from learning Shakespeare."

"It's actually Jane Austen today," she corrected cheekily.

"Can't keep the Year 10s from learning Jane Austen."

"Right. Hopefully, the secretary would be back soon. Best of luck with the interview," Clara said and walked out of the office.

"Thank you," John uttered before taking a seat in one of the empty chairs. He pulled out his phone and made sure that it was set to silent and prayed Missy wouldn't suddenly call him.

A couple of minutes passed before a woman in her late fifties entered the school office.

"Hello - may I help you?" she said, eyeing him up and down, puzzled as to why a man in his fifties, dressed like a magician was in the school office.

John rose from his seat. "Yes, I'm actually here for the-"

Mrs May's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed. "You're the new caretaker, aren't you?"

The Doctor had been too stunned to have corrected her but he didn't have time to say anything as she continued.

"Well," she muttered and glanced at her wrist watch. "You're a bit early but that's fine and since you are already here, I might as well show you where the caretaker's shed is."

John was ushered out of the office and was lead to where the shed was located – at the far end of the school compound, across the football field.

"Pride and Prejudice – I'm sure everybody has heard of this excellent piece of literature at some point," Clara said, toying with the whiteboard marker in her hands while walking around the classroom.

She looked out the window and her smile immediately dropped when she saw two familiar figures walking across the field.

"Miss?" one of her students murmured when she realized her teacher had suddenly stopped talking.

Clara turned away from the window and said, "Yes! Ok, please turn to page 12 and read about Jane Austen's biography. I'll be back in ten minutes."

The students were puzzled when their teacher darted out of the classroom and looked at each other.

"What was that all about?" asked a student before he approached the window. His friends soon joined him when they saw their teacher crossing the field.

Clara walked as fast as she could, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding as quickly as possible. Half of her found it funny that the Doctor was mistaken as the new janitor but the other half felt sympathetic. Mrs May was the type of person to keep on talking, giving other people little chance to even interject.

"Right, this here is the shed," Mrs May said as she swung the door open.

John looked inside for a brief moment before he cleared his throat. "Yes, um, it's very caretaker-ish but I think-"

"It's a good thing you came at the right time. The previous caretaker, Mr Copeland, passed away so suddenly."

John fought the urge to sigh and spoke once again. "That's very tragic but-"

"Doctor, Mrs May!" a voice called out.

The Doctor glanced to his left from where the source was coming from and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Clara.

"Miss Oswald, good afternoon. I was just showing the new caretaker the shed."

Clara exchanged a look with John, seeing the pleading look in his eyes. "About that, he's actually here for the volunteering work."

Mrs May arched a brow and took a good look at the Doctor once more and said, "Looks more like a rock star to me. Anyway, I'm sorry for the mix-up!"

"It's alright," John replied.

"If you'll just follow me back to the office, I'll inform the headmaster. You could have just told me you're not the caretaker."

John and Clara waited until the secretary was a few feet ahead of them before the Doctor spoke in a hushed tone. "Thank you. There was no chance of me being interviewed today if you hadn't been here."

"Mrs May is always like that. Don't take it personally," Clara murmured, beaming at him. "It's a good thing I saw you, huh?"

The Doctor gave a nervous smile. "I must have interrupted your lesson."

"I'm sure the students don't mind," she said before walking up the staircase and stopping on the second step. "Let's hope the headmaster doesn't assume the same thing."

"It's the plaid trousers, isn't it?"

Clara bit her lower lip, trying not to grin. "Good luck, Doctor."

When she returned to the classroom, her students scrambled back to their seats but what she found odd was that all were giving her a weird look.

"Is something wrong?"

Nobody said a word and Clara thought nothing of it and continued with her lesson.

"So, Jane Austen. I hope you've done a bit of reading on her biography while I was gone…"

"Was that your boyfriend, Miss?" a student said teasingly, causing Clara's cheek to redden.

An hour had passed and school for the day finally ended. What Clara least expected when she walked out of the school building was John. He stood outside the school gates.

"I'm surprised to see you here!" she exclaimed as she approached him.

"Well, I thought I might as well wait a bit and share the good news."

She didn't even need to wait for him to say it. "You're officially the new Maths tutor."

John flashed her a boyish grin. "I start next Tuesday."

"That's wonderful!"

"Yes," he agreed and suddenly started feeling nervous.

He had never thought he would get anything out of the sabbatical but it seems he was about to be proven wrong. At least his days were no longer filled with boring, non-progressive research.

"Clara," John began. "Could I maybe buy you a drink, as a way of saying thank you for helping me with the whole volunteering thing?"

Clara hesitated for a moment and he was sure she was going to say no but her answer surprised him. "That's fair, I suppose."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that it's taken me so long to update this story but I've been very busy with uni for the past few months. Thank you for your patience and support and I hope you'll enjoy chapter 7! :)

Missy was annoyed - no, the word 'cross' was better at describing her on one particularly beautiful and sunny day. The first-semester exam was coming up and she had spent the past week finishing the topics which needed to be covered so that they could crack on with revision. What ruined her day and triggered her foul mood was when she was bombarded with dozens of emails from John's students, the one she was put in charge of temporarily.

She had told them that only a sheet of paper was allowed into the exam. One sheet. Notes can be written on both sides. The problem with students is that they can be very creative and so, the emails.

_  
'Hi Missy, are we allowed to print our notes?'_

_'Hello Missy, I hope you are well. Can I write past paper solutions on the sheet of paper? Regards, Tom'_

_'Can I draw diagrams on the single sheet of paper? Also, when will we get our coursework mark back? Thanks.'_

_'Hi Missy, are we allowed to print our notes? What size should the font and size be if it's allowed?'_

_'Can I print one of the slides and write notes on it?'_

_'The past paper says any paper based material is allowed in the exam. Could I maybe bring in one of the past solutions? - Jane'_

_'How many questions do we have to answer?'  
_

She was on the verge of losing her sanity, or at least what's left of it. Why did John ever allow the students bringing in notes anyway? If it were up to her, she would have been merciless to those pathetic sausages but technically, the exam is still John's responsibility as he was still the module coordinator and so, later in the evening, Missy called her dear brother in hopes of having the notes issue cleared up. She was having none of it with his students.

To her surprise, her call was left unanswered twice.

"That's strange. What are you up to, John Smith?" Missy grumbled.

Unknown to her, John had actually put his phone on silent. It was his first day volunteering as a tutor at the school so he made sure that nothing was in his way.

"Since it's your first day, I think it's wise to mention that the class you will be teaching has a certain student who's a bit of a troublemaker. Don't let her get to you – it's what she does best."

The Doctor arched a brow, feeling a little less confident now that Clara had mentioned a disruptive student. "Should I be concerned?"

Clara shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing serious with Laura Hooper but she can be witty."

John chuckled. He has been dealing with a witty sister his whole life. He was sure he could handle it. "I'm sure we'll get acquainted quickly."

They stopped in front of a door. "Right, good luck with Laura!" Clara said and winked at him before walking away.

As soon as the Doctor stepped into the classroom, the pupils scrambled to their seats and became as silent as a dormouse. John could already feel the awkwardness and he was sure the students could too.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"I thought this was double Maths," retorted a student. She had a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms.

"This is indeed Maths and I'm, well, your tutor."

"I'm sorry, but are you our Maths tutor or some doctor from the NHS?"

John frowned at the student's question but he wasn't giving up easily. "I'm your tutor and yes, I'm called the Doctor and no, I'm not working for the NHS. I'm guessing you're Laura Hooper."

"That's me," Laura grunted.

"Ok. I suppose we can start over. Hello, I'm the Doctor. I will be your Maths tutor every Tuesday and Thursday until you sit for GCSEs which is several months away."

The Doctor set his messenger bag on the desk and began taking out his laptop and a stack of paper.

"I do think that the best way to cover all the materials is by going through the past papers and I've gone through the trouble of printing last year's for you," he explained, passing out the questions to the students sat in the front desks.

It was at that moment Laura raised her hand.

"Yes, Laura."

"Do you fancy Miss Oswald?"

John felt as if his heart had stopped beating but luckily, it didn't. However, he was taken back by the question and was silent for a few moments before he slowly said, "I beg your pardon?"

"Miss Oswald. You. Her. Are you two in love with each other something?"

"No."

He knew that no matter how much he would deny, the students, especially Laura would not believe him. He cleared his throat. "Could we please get back to the past paper? We're wasting time."

"If you say so, sir," Laura answered with a smug look.

Despite the bumpy start, John's first day of teaching went a lot better than he had initially expected. For the most part, the students did their work and that was something.

What surprised him after the tutoring was the five missed calls from Missy and a text message.

'You had better be dead or admitted to a hospital if you're not answering my calls. Your students are driving me mad. Idiot.'

John furrowed his brows as he read the message. Why was he blessed with an insane sister?

"So how did it go?" a familiar voice snapped him out of is thoughts.

He looked up from his phone and flashed Clara a boyish grin. "Went better than expected despite Laura causing a bit of a disruption at first."

She arched a brow and said, "Oh, did she say something along the lines of 'I'm sorry, I thought this was insert subject'?"

"She definitely said that," the Doctor replied and a few other things that he thought was best kept to himself.

"Don't let her get to you and she'll eventually come around. Laura does that with all new teachers or so I'm told."

They walked passed the school gate, heading in the direction of their homes.

"Listen, I was thinking that maybe we could get coffee or something, you know, as a way of saying thanks. I think I'm starting to enjoy teaching again," John suggested, hoping Clara would accept his offer.

Clara pondered for a moment. If she was completely honest, she didn't feel like socialising that much, especially when Danny's death anniversary was approaching but for some strange reason, she felt happier and less lonely whenever she was with the Doctor. She couldn't say no to the puppy look he was giving, intentional or not.

"I'd love that."

"Great! Is it alright if I call my sister first? She left five missed calls."

Clara giggled. "I'm sorry, how old are you? 12?"

"I think she thinks I'm 12," John retorted as he waited for Missy to answer his call.

_"Looks like he's not dead after all. Here I am thinking my dear brother was being held hostage by killer robots or being chased by shapeshifting monsters."_

"Hi Missy. Is there a reason why you called me five times?"

_"Of course there is! Your students. Deal with them. I've been receiving dozens of emails asking a bunch of ridiculous questions. What have you been up to, by the way? You always answer your phone. Find a puppy?"_

John cleared his throat and said, "I've just been busy." Revealing the fact that he's now tutoring at a local school was not an option. That would only prove Missy was right to send him off and sabbatical and he hates it when she's right. "And forward the emails to me. I'll post a response on the module page so everyone can see it."

_"If you say so. I think I have about 11- 12 emails."_

"Just forward all."

_"And that was the last one!" Missy exclaimed, "I was going to forward all of them anyway."_

"Of course you were. Is that all?"

_"What's the rush? It's not like you're with a woman."_

John nearly tripped before he quickly glanced at Clara. "Nothing. I just don't see anything else to talk about."

_"There's plenty to talk about – the weather, the coursework that I've finished marking, Amy and Rory's plans to go to Edinburgh during summer, Bowtie's recent paper, the new chicken shop that just opened."_

"Missy," the Doctor growled.

_"I'm just pulling your leg, John. Where's your sense of humour? I won't distract you any longer. I theorise that you managed to get a puppy. It's why you sound so different, less like a teenager going through puberty and more like your old self. Ta-ta."_

"Sorry about that," John murmured as he put his smartphone away. "My sister has a habit of being obnoxious."

"You two seem really close and she definitely knows how to wind you up," Clara said jokingly.

"Well, she's my only sibling so it's been like this for as long as I remember."

The two finally reached the café and John asked her what she wanted to order.

"I'll just have tea. Earl Grey," she said before looking for an empty table. One was spotted in a quiet corner of the café and Clara thought it was just the perfect place for them to get to know each other.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank my new mechanical keyboard for this update. I got it today and am in love with it! The blue switches are just awesome and thank you so much for your support and patience! I hope you'll enjoy reading chapter 8! :)

"… It was actually part of Courtney Wood's plan all along. She thought it would be funny to convince all her classmates not to bring any stationery!" Clara explained as she reminiscent her days as a teacher at Coal Hill.

"One of the many reasons why I tend to avoid teenage pudding brains," the Doctor reasoned as he took a sip of his coffee. Their conversation had started general things but they gradually ended up talking about their respective professions and the ups and downs it brought.

"And yet, you've agreed to tutor the so-called 'pudding brains'," she stated with a smirk.

The Doctor looked down at his drink, trying his best not to grin. She was right. "They're not as bad as I had presumed."

"Except for Laura. I wasn't prepared for that," he added, nose scrunched up at the memory of her attempting to disrupt his lesson.

Clara grimaced when she remembered her first day working at the new school. "No, I don't think anybody could be prepared for that."

"Except maybe Missy," John said automatically. "She's my sister – the one I called earlier," he added.

She cupped the cup with both her hands. "So is she a Maths lecturer just like you or is she in a completely different career choice?"

"Uhm, she's a lecturer too. We work at the same university but she specialises in a different field."

"What sort of field? The both of you must be geniuses."

John felt a bit hesitant to answer her question as it would only confirm her statement. He took another sip of his drink before meekly saying, "Physics."

Clara flashed him a smile. "See, I was right."

"Believe me, I'm just an idiot."

"A genius idiot."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow before both grinned at one another. "I don't do banter either."

While John and Clara were busy catching up inside the café, a man stepped in and greeted the barista behind the counter and showed them a leaflet before asking permission to put up against the large transparent window.

Once his job was done, he thanked the barista and moved on to the next store and the following one before finally reaching Donna's bookstore.

"If it ain't Mickey!" Donna greeted happily as she slowly descended from the ladder. "I haven't seen your hair in ages."

"Good evening, Donna. I just dropped by real quick to put this leaflet around," he said, holding up the printed handout.

Donna took the piece of paper and examined it. "What's this about? Another dog missing?"

"It's even worse this time – we have a rabid dog missing. Supposed to have been put down yesterday but he somehow escaped," Mickey explained, taking out another leaflet. "Is it alright if I stick this next to the entrance? Might help raise awareness and tell people to be more cautious."

"Yeah, yeah, that's fine. This is awful. I won't be returning home late tonight - not with a wacko dog on the loose."

"If you ever see any stray dogs around, just call animal control. We should respond fairly quickly."

Donna looked up. "If I ever run into the rabid dog, I ain't just gonna call you, I'll be too busy screaming at the top of my lungs."

"We'll be on the lookout for a Donna Noble screaming to the high heavens too," Mickey added with a grin.

"Don't get your hopes up, you clown."

Mickey put his hands up mockingly. "In that case, I shall leave immediately."

As soon as the animal control officer left, Donna made a mental note to close her store on time for the day. She had no intention of being at risk of being attacked by a dog and that was exactly what she did at seven o'clock sharp.

As she was driving back home, she drove past Clara and the Doctor. "Well that's a bloody surprise," she murmured amusingly as she looked at the rear view mirror.

When her tenant had moved in, she had been cross and critical of the Doctor. Now it would seem that they are enjoying each other's company.

"Thank you again for the drinks," the Doctor said as they walked side by side. Few words had been exchanged since they had left the café and John's brain couldn't think of anything else to talk about, even if his life depended on it.

Clara giggled. "Like I said, it's only fair that I pay since you bought us drinks last time."

Silence greeted them once more until they finally reached Clara's flat.

"Home at last," Clara murmured, almost with a sad tone, staring at the building in front of her.

"Clara."

She glanced at him and noticed that his eyes were focused on something else, a frown on his face and eyebrows looking as if they were ready to attack. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

He could have sworn he had heard something growling in the dark and he was right. There was definitely something lurking in the dark. Before he knew it, a large vicious leaped out of nowhere and darted in their direction, barking at them both.

Clara stood frozen, shocked by its sudden appearance. She knew she had to move but her legs didn't comply. The next thing she knew, the Doctor grabbed her arm and yanked her away, stepping in front of her before the rabid dog sank its teeth into his right leg.

"Fucking hell!" John yelled, his accent thicker than ever. He tried to pry the dog away from his leg but it only angered the animal even more and it released its grip before sinking its teeth into the Doctor's left arm.

It all happened so quickly. Clara had run inside to call for help and the next thing she knew, John was leaning against a wall, clutching his injured arm. He could barely stand properly due to pain coming from his leg. He had managed to scare the dog by kicking it but the damage had been done.

"Oh God, Doctor," Clara gasped as she placed a hand gently on his cheek. He was sweating and breathing heavily.

A moment later, Donna appeared. "Oh my God! It bit you!"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Obvious."

"That's Donna Noble to you, you prawn and I'm taking you to the hospital."

"No, no, just – I'll be fine."

Donna glared at the Doctor. "Are you bloody delusional?! You just got bitten by a rabid dog! Your condition is only going to get worse! We can get to the hospital faster than calling the ambulance."

"Could you two please stop arguing?!" Clara said frustratingly. "Donna, can you help me carry him to your car?"

"This is really unnecessary," John said through gritted teeth.

"God, you're skinny," Donna grumbled.

Both women helped the Doctor into the vehicle. "I swear that if you die in my car, I'll sue the living and dead backside out of you!"

While Donna drove like a mad woman, Clara and John were seated in the back.

"How many times did it bite you?" Clara asked, trying to look for any other injuries.

"Just the leg and arm," he responded. "Clara, I'm not going to die."

"But you're at risk of turning into a zombie and I'm having none of that!" Donna growled as they pulled up in A&E.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur to John. He had stepped into the building and several nurses and a doctor were present. He remembered Clara following closely behind them.

The doctor and nurses had to work quickly to prevent an infection and so, he was ushered into a room. Rolling the sleeve of his shirt and trousers, the nurses began cleaning and disinfecting the wounds.

A second doctor shortly walked in. "Hello, Mr Smith," she said. "My name is Dr Martha Jones. You were recently attacked by a rabid dog. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, of course," John replied. "Why else would I be here?" he grumbled.

"It seems that you're completely fine and show no signs rabies. What I am going to do next is to vaccinate you. In fact, you'll be required to receive another dose in a couple of days," Martha explained as she prepared the shot.

"Are we clear on that, Mr Smith?"

"Yes."

She gently gripped his arm and said, "Now, just relax your arm."

"Where's Clara?"

"Who?"

"The lady waiting outside," a nurse mumbled, throwing away a cotton soaked in blood.

Martha put the syringe away before taking off her gloves. "I don't see a reason for you to stay here overnight. You're welcome to leave as soon as we have booked your next appointment and made sure that you are indeed fine."

By the time John was discharged, it was close to midnight. What surprised him was that both Clara and Donna were waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in confusion.

Rather than answering his question, Clara immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Martha trailed behind him before stopping to talk. "It seems that Mr Smith is well. The bites inflicted were much more serious than we thought, which is why it took a bit longer to stop the bleeding but aside from that, he is free to go home. However, it would be ideal if someone could supervise his condition for the night but I'm sure his…" she trailed before getting a good look at both the Doctor and Clara. "… wife can do that."

Donna coughed loudly as a way of trying to prevent herself from laughing. Clara nor John bothered corrected Martha. One was mentally exhausted. Waiting for the Doctor for hours without any updates had drained all her energy while John just wanted to return home and sleep it off.

"His next appointment will be on Thursday. I've handed him his appointment card. It's important that he received the second dose of the vaccine," the doctor explained.

"Thank you so much, Dr Jones."

Martha smiled and nodded. "All in a day's work."

The journey to John's house was quiet. It was until the Doctor spoke. "There was no need for you to wait for me. I could have just called a taxi."

"I wasn't gonna leave Clara all by herself, worrying about your sorry behind to death," Donna replied softly, eyes on the road.

"Just make a left and you should see a house with a blue door and gate."

The car came to a halt and before stepping out, John thanked Donna for giving him a lift. What surprised him, however, was when Clara also got off the vehicle.

"I'm not leaving you alone. Dr Jones said somebody needs to look after you tonight," she said before he could speak.

John stared into her large brown eyes which were full of determination. He couldn't really argue. Not right now. Not after what happened. He was beyond exhausted. "Alright."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your continuous support.   
> I hope you'll enjoy reading chapter 9!

The Doctor couldn't understand why his hand was shaking as he struggled to insert the key into the lock. He was sure it wasn't because of his injuries. So why was he nervous all of a sudden? Because he was inviting a woman into his home.

Eventually, he managed to unlock the door and stepped inside to switch on the lights before allowing her to pass through and enter the living room.

"If you want to go home right now, I can walk you there or call a cab. There's really no need for you to stay here," the Doctor murmured as he stood in front of her, avoiding eye contact.

Clara shook her head. "It's the least I could do after what you did. I mean, you literally used yourself as a shield."

"It was worth it."

"Thank you," she whispered before getting on her toes and kissing his cheek.

John cleared his throat before moving away from Clara, trying his best not to act like a stunned penguin. "Would you like a drink?"

"No, I'm good. Had more coffee than necessary back at the hospital," she said sheepishly.

The Doctor nodded. He still felt bad she had to wait for him for hours and now that she was staying for the night to make sure he was fine, he felt even worse and awkward. "Well, I don't have a guest bedroom but I'm happy to let you sleep in my-"

"I'm fine taking the sofa."

He frowned. "You're not taking the sofa. Believe me, it's not that comfortable."

"I'm sure it's not that bad. I've slept on worse sofas," Clara retorted before she plopped down on the sofa. No, it wasn't uncomfortable at all. "See?"

She patted the empty seat next to her so prove her point and John reluctantly did so. "I insist on you taking the bedroom."

"I insist sleeping on the sofa."

John rolled his eyes. "Yes, boss," he grumbled before cracking a smile at her. "Thank you."

Suddenly, he frowned, remembering what he was supposed to send Missy a message telling her about his predicament. There was no way in hell he was phoning her. No, she would only nag him until she reached his home. "What's wrong?"

"I need to inform my sister what happened," John deadpanned. Missy was definitely going to kill him. He pulled out his phone and decided to send her a quick text message.

Clara was stunned when the Doctor switched off his phone as soon as the message was sent. "Is that really necessary?"

"I'm not really looking forward to being yelled at tonight," he sighed and set the phone on the coffee table. "And just to be sure, you don't want to take the bed?"

"Positive."

He knew that he should leave, go to bed. Sleep it off but his legs, no, his entire body didn't seem to comply. He suddenly didn't feel so exhausted anymore.

Clara and John made eye contact once again. It was as if they knew what was going on in each other's mind. "Let me guess, the coffee is keeping you awake."

"And you're not that tired," she concluded.

John stared at the widescreen television. He glanced back at Clara. "One of the perks of living in 2017 is this thing that they have called smart TV. It's connected to the internet. Movie?"

"I'll leave that to you," Clara replied. "I'm curious to see what kind of movies you're into."

The Doctor merely smiled at her. Internally, he was panicking. "Are you sure you'd rather not choose a movie?"

Back in London, in the comfort of her home, Missy was making an effort not to scream in frustration as she marked her students' coursework.

"How can you screw up this easy question?" she whispered to herself. "Magic hole here. Time moves faster on one end of the ship. Slower on the other. Simple," she grumbled, writing down word for word what she had said while gripping her red pen tightly.

As she was busy with her academic duties, she didn't see her smartphone come up to life, displaying that a message had come in from her brother. It was a habit of hers to put her phone on silent while grading.

In fact, she didn't even bother looking at her phone as soon as she had finished marking, too frustrated at the fact that some of her students did not fare too well in the coursework and it wasn't until the following morning when she finally read John's message.

"You bloody idiot!" she hissed before pinching the bridge of her nose.

_'Got attacked by a rabid dog. Went to hospital. Just got home. I'm fine so there's no need for you to check up on me.'_

"You'll be returning to the hospital for a different reason when I get there," Missy growled as she opened her email.

She was supposed to have a meeting with Bowtie today and deliver a lecture on Special Relativity to a group of first years. It seems those wouldn't be happening.

Missy quickly typed on her smartphone, cursing the small device at the same time. However, in her rush to send the message and catch the earliest train possible, her phone had autocorrected some of her words.

_'Hi, John. It seems our meeting for today has to be canceled. The Doctor told me was attacked by a rabbi last night. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and I'm sure we can reschedule. Also, would you mind covering my PY412 lecture today? Best regards, Missy.'_

"Why couldn't I have been an only child?" she complained, putting her phone away before making sure she had her purse and umbrella. She was definitely going to whack John's head when she sees him.

When Bowtie John read the email that morning, he was both puzzled and shocked. There were two questions going through his mind. One, what kind of a rabbi attacks people and two, how did the Doctor get attacked in the first place.

As soon as he reached the faculty building, he searched for Amy and saw her in the kitchen. "Amy," he called out. "Did you receive an email from Missy this morning?"

Amy furrowed her brow and said, "No. I haven't had any new emails come in except for the one from the school about the upcoming annual dinner. Why?"

Bowtie pulled out his smartphone. "Well," he began, "Missy sent me one just this morning at around six in the morning and it says that the Doctor was attacked by a rabbi."

He then proceeded to show her the email.

Amy read the email before looking up. "That… that just doesn't make sense. I mean, why would a rabbi attack the Doctor?"

"My thoughts exactly. Could you maybe send her an email and ask what's going on?"

Before lunchtime, everyone in the faculty had heard of the shocking and odd news. However, the email Amy had sent was left unanswered. Missy couldn't be bothered to check her phone. She was too busy trying to figure out the best way to kill her brother.

The dilemma over how to kill the Doctor was just the beginning of her problems.

"Is this seat taken?" a man with a round face asked. He had a smile, almost a creepy one, on his face.

"No."

He took off his coat and sat next to Missy. He fixed his red tie with a large smile before glancing at the very cross woman. "Are you heading to -"

"Yes."

"I haven't finished-"

"I honestly do not care."

The smile was still plastered on the man's face. "I'm Harold, by the way. Harold Saxon."

Missy exhaled before facing him properly with a bored look. "And I'm the Queen of Evil. Not nice to meet you."

"Is it wrong that I still like you even though there's a chance you can knock me out with that umbrella?"

"Yes. Very," she said.

After an hour of passive-aggressively ignoring Harold and his horrible flirting, Missy finally arrived at her destination.

"I hope we'll meet again!" Harold said as she got up from her seat and left the coach.

"I hope we won't!" she growled, walking quickly to the exit. Harold was probably the most annoying man she had ever met but she had to admit, he was kind of cute. In a weird way.

Missy reached John's house no more than after walking for twenty minutes. Taking out the spare key he had given her, she unlocked the door and stepped in.

She was going to kill him but that thought immediately vanished when she walked into the living room.

The Doctor and Clara were both asleep, with Clara resting her head on his shoulder while the Doctor rested his on top of hers. The 'Frozen' movie menu was displayed on the television and trailer silently playing in one corner of the screen.

For a moment, Missy was stunned but recovered quickly. She looked up to the ceiling, both her thumbs up, and whispered, "Thank you, me."

Silently, she took out her smartphone and snapped a picture of the two before grinning. John and his female companion have a lot of explaining to do.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally had the motivation to actually update this story! XD   
> For the past few weeks, the document file was only kept opened on my desktop, hahaha. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :)

Missy decided to take the golden opportunity to check on the progress of John's research but not before she made herself tea.

She entered the office with a mug in one hand and scanned the piles of papers scattered on the desk. "At least you've been doing your work," she murmured bringing the mug to her lips.

"I haven't been wasting my time here doing nothing, you know," a voice coming from the door said.

Missy spun around and grinned at her brother. He looked groggy. Hair tousled, eyes red and face unshaven. Her eyes then diverted to the white bandage wrapped around his left arm.

"When did you get here?" John asked before disappearing into the kitchen.

His sister's grin only grew wider and she saw that Clara was also awake and holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands. "Oh, not too long ago. And who's this?"

"Clara, Missy. Missy, Clara," the Doctor said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you and here I thought that John is incapable of befriending anyone outside the faculty," Missy commented, eyeing her brother.

"And you," Clara replied.

The Doctor was silently praying that his sister wouldn't end up saying or doing something that would embarrass him and so, he decided to cut in. "Aren't you supposed to be lecturing today?"

His sister merely shrugged. "Asked Bowtie to take care of it. If I catch a train soon, I might be able to return to London an hour before the lecture," she explained, giving him her usual sarcastic smile.

John shot his sister a look. "Well, I guess you should get going then."

Missy took a quick glance at her watch. "I still have time to kill."

"You have a lecture later in the afternoon, best be on your way," the Doctor pointed out as he led his sister out the kitchen.

She quickly turned around. "The least you could do is let me finish my tea and have a chat with Clara."

"No."

Missy forced a smile, resisting the urge to mock him. "I haven't had the chance to say thank you for taking care of my idiot brother," she said to Clara, ignoring him completely.

"It's the least I could do after he saved me from the dog."

Missy turned around to give her brother a surprised look. "Well, well, well," she began, "You're like a knight in shining armour now or something."

John shot a death glare. "What was I supposed to do? Just stand and watch?"

This time, his sister rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I just find it interesting how this whole thing turned out," she replied, winking at him before finishing her tea.

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Story for another day," Missy uttered under her breath before beaming at Clara. "It was lovely to meet you. I can see why John voluntarily got in harm's way."

Clara made eye contact with the Doctor and she could easily see the annoyance in his eyes. "We wouldn't want your poor students to miss their lecture, now would we?" he growled but it didn't even faze his sister.

"I have no doubts in Bowtie's teaching abilities but it's best to spare him the trouble," she replied and stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. "Before I forget, the faculty will be hosting the annual academic year-end dinner in less than two months – I think it's a splendid idea if you and Clara could come along."

John was tempted to immediately say he wasn't going to attend the event but he wasn't entirely sure if it would offend Clara so he silently glowered at his sibling.

"Two months time, you're both invited," Missy repeated before making her way to the door and grabbing her umbrella.

"I hate you," the Doctor said through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to slam the door in her face.

She merely rolled her eyes. "You'll thank me in the future."

He shut the door for good and let out a sigh. How was he going to explain anything to Clara now?

"I'm sorry about my sister. She tends to speak her mind," the Doctor said as he entered the kitchen.

Clara laughed nervously. "She's… lovely."

They stared at each other before breaking into a giggling fit.

"I'm not sure if Missy was serious about the annual dinner. Haven't heard anything about it yet," John spoke, breaking the silence that had befallen. "But, if it is happening in two months time, would you be interested?"

Clara was unsure what to say to him and that was when her mind suddenly remembered Danny. She hadn't thought about him at all. All somber thoughts about him had banished since the past few days.

"I'm… I'm not so sure."

Despite his best effort of trying to conceal his emotions, she could tell that the Doctor was ready for a rejection.

"Let me think about it, yeah?"

He nodded and granted her a smile. "Of course, I mean, it's in two months time."

"So," Clara said, quickly changing the subject. "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged in response. "Definitely a lot better," he said, rubbing over the bandaged arm. "I can't really complain. The leg stills aches a bit."

She nodded and stared at the mug in her hands, not knowing what to say until it finally struck her as she glanced at her watch – she was supposed to be at school in less than 20 minutes. "I'm late!" Clara exclaimed, rushing into the living room to collect her belongings.

"I'll drop by after school to check up on you, yeah? Bye!" she said, running into the hallway and out the door, not giving John the chance to protest as he stood in front of his stood with a half-amused and half-confused look on his face, watching her run down the road.

Back in London, Bowtie was trying his best to remember what he had learned back in his first year as he went over Missy's lecture slides. There was more than an hour to go before the lecture so there was ample time for him to prepare properly.

The door to the office suddenly creaked open and a person walked in but he never looked away from the computer screen until she took a seat behind her desk. Bowtie looked up and had a mini heart attack.

"Missy?!" he spluttered in shock, knitting his eyebrows. "Aren't you supposed to be in-"

"Idiot's fine," Missy replied, logging into her computer.

"Missy?!"

"Yes, the one and only," she retorted as Amy stood by the entrance. She had expected them to carry on with whatever they were doing but that wasn't the case. Instead, they look as if they were waiting for something. "What?"

"Is it true that the Doctor got bitten by a rabbi?"

Missy blinked several times before she opened her email and read the message she had sent in the morning. "No. What I meant was 'rabid dog' but I guess my phone auto-corrected it to 'rabbi'," she explained calmly.

Amy and Bowtie exchanged looks, causing Missy to furrow her brows.

"The whole faculty thinks he's been attacked by a rabbi."

She tried very hard not to bang her head against the desk. "Why on earth would a rabbi attack my brother – no wait, that actually sounds plausible. This is John Smith we're talking about. Fair enough."

"So how is he? Was he hospitalised?" Amy asked.

This time, Missy grinned. "No, he was rushed to the nearest hospital but that was it and that's not the best part of it all."

At this point, Bowtie felt a bit intrusive as he was merely a research student. He tried to focus on the lecture slides instead.

"He had a woman with him."

Bowtie arched a brow.

Amy nearly spat out her tea. "Are you simply messing with me right now?!"

"No, caught them sleeping on the sofa next to each other," she said and unlocked her phone to show her the photo she had taken.

Amy's eyes grew wider as she stared at the image. "The Doctor. The Doctor. Dr John Smith is actually interested in someone?"

"Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that he has a crush on her, whether he realises it or not," Missy continued. "Her name's Clara. He's smitten with her from the way I see it."

"Well, at least now you can make fun of him whenever he complains about being on sabbatical."

"That's the plan and I also invited her to the annual dinner."

Amy finally sat down in one of the empty chairs. "What if the Doctor doesn't show up?"

Missy scoffed. "He has to for the board of examination meeting. John's still the course leader for Mathematics."

She finally connected the dots. "I see where you're going with this."

"It helps to be an intelligent sister to an idiot brother."

Their conversation, however, was cut short when Bowtie cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but… do I still have to deliver today's lecture?"


	11. Chapter 11

Almost two months had passed since the Doctor was attacked by a rabid dog. He had embraced his volunteer work happily, teaching Year 10 students, remembering why he had decided to teach in the first place. He was beginning to feel the same excitement and passion he first felt when he started teaching. The only difference this time is that he has someone to thank that for. But alas, his volunteering work came to an end as the students were done with their GCSEs.

He had been giving his full attention back to his research, realising just how much he missed teaching and he would love to start seeing his students again.

However, Clara still hasn't given him an answer. As a matter of fact, neither of them ever mentioned about the upcoming dinner in their conversations and the Doctor wasn't exactly sure if you ask her again.

He certainly would have ditched the annual dinner if he wasn't required to attend the board of examination meeting but he had to and so, a week before the event, John worked up the courage to ask her. It was just a simple question of asking a friend to accompany him, nothing more, or so he thought.

John waited by the school entrance as students rushed out, some eager to return home, some wanting to hang out with friends. He spotted Clara and smiled at her.

It had become somewhat of a routine for them to share a drink together ever since he started teaching and it continued even after his volunteer work was over.

"Same café or should we try the new one that just opened a week ago?" Clara asked as they began walking.

"Up to you," he replied. "Personally, I'd prefer having a drink in Space Glasgow."

Clara knitted her brows, not understanding the joke.

"That was a bad attempt at joking, I know."

"Maybe your humour needs a bit of work."

John frowned. "My students think I'm funny!" he argued. "I once taught pure maths to a group of engineering students and when we came across factorials, instead of saying 'n factorial', you pronounce it as n!"

Clara did not laugh or react. She had no idea what the Doctor was rambling about. She was sure they had only laughed so that they wouldn't fail the module.

The grin on his face dropped. "Oh, come on! It's hilarious!"

The two had grown much closer since the past few months and their friendship had definitely improved a lot. In fact, the Doctor seemed to be a lot more relaxed, especially with Clara.

They finally reached the new café.

"Can I at least tell you one more joke?"

"Is it another one with puns?"

"… No."

She sighed as a sign of resignation. "Fine."

John grinned. "What do you call a fake pasta?"

Clara thought about it for a second before she gave up and shrugged.

"An impasta!"

The cashier behind the counter chuckled. "That's a good one!"

The Doctor looked triumphantly at his friend. "See, he gets it!"

She merely shook her head, failing to hide her smile before both ordered their drinks and picked an empty table. The café was full of people and John was contemplating whether it was a good idea to ask Clara.

He couldn't chicken out now.

John cleared his throat to get her attention and said, "Um, I'm travelling to London next Thursday for a university meeting and the annual dinner is on Saturday. Have you, have you thought about going?"

She had thought about alright. Since day one and hadn't made up her mind yet. The truth was, she was afraid. She had come to the realisation that she likes the Doctor more than just a friend. She was sure of it after he saved her but there were still questions circling her mind. Was she ready to move on? Does the Doctor feel the same way about her? Was he married? Then again, if he was, why would his sister invite her in the first place? It still doesn't explain why he's wearing a wedding ring.

"I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about it," Clara lied. "But I'll definitely let you know before the week is over, yeah?"

John nodded and leaned back as a waiter came over and served them their drinks. "Take all the time you need."

The moment Clara reached home, she immediately discarded her belongings on the sofa before she paced in the small living room. She thought about calling her grandmother, telling her what was on her mind but that would require her to explain from the very beginning. She wouldn't understand completely.

Maybe she could talk to Donna. She was the best landlady that Clara could ever ask for and a wonderful friend as well.

"Oh my God! You poor sausage!" Donna exclaimed as she watched a baby born iguana running away from its predators on the large television.

She heard several knocks on the front door and ignored it as her eyes were glued to screen. She heard it again and sighed before reaching for her phone and pausing the video.

"Yeah, yeah, you can stop knockin' now!" she yelled, approaching the door. "Knockin' on my door as if you're about to bring it down," she whispered under her breath.

She unlocked the door and was greeted by a frantic looking Clara.

"Emergency girl time," was all that her tenant said before she ushered her in.

"Why didn't you say so!" Donna said excitedly, leading her into the living room. "Want a drink?"

"I'm good," she replied and sunk into one of the arm chairs.

Donna sat in the opposite one. "So?"

Clara began explaining how she had met the Doctor's sister up to the point where he had asked her about coming to the annual dinner with him earlier today.

"I don't see why you shouldn't go," Donna reasoned. "I think he's just shy and doesn't like showing his emotions in public."

"Still doesn't explain why he has a wedding ring."

Donna thought long and hard. "Maybe he wears it to stop women from hitting him?"

Clara shot her a confused look.

"What? You have to admit he's quite handsome, extremely intelligent and he's clearly a gentleman. What woman wouldn't go crazy?"

Clara groaned in frustration and buried her face in her hands. "The thing is, I'm not sure if I'm ready to move on. My last… well, let's just say it ended unexpectedly."

Donna wasn't sure if she should ask her what had happened in her previous relationship. No, it wasn't her place to ask. She placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think you should go – as friends. I'm sure that's what the spaceman has in mind too," she suggested. "Besides, when was the last time you left this quiet town?"

And that was how Clara ended up staring at her phone an hour later. The Doctor's number and name were both displayed on the screen. All she had to do was next was type a message or maybe call him.

She tapped the phone icon and heard the line beeping as it was trying to connect her to the network.

"Clara!" John answered with a happy tone, his Scottish accent thicker than ever.

She cleared her throat. "Hi, Doctor. I've thought about the upcoming dinner and yes, it would be lovely to attend the event."

"Fantastic," he said and placed the phone against his other ear. "It's on Saturday next week, starts at eight and ends at midnight?!" the Doctor exclaimed as he read the email from the faculty.

He read it twice before he heard Clara speak again. "We can always leave early, can't we?"

"Of course, but what I don't understand is why it's starting and ending later than usual. I thought that maybe we could return to Hastings together after the event but I doubt there are any trains running after midnight."

He scrolled down the email, looking for any explanation and came across one.

"It says that Saturn will be visible on the night of the event, hence why it ends later than usual."

Even if they were to leave early, they would still have to catch a late train and John wasn't keen on reaching home at two in the morning. He also couldn't just let Clara return all by herself in the wee hours of the morning.

"O… K," Clara said slowly, racking her brain to find a solution. "Worst case scenario is finding a hotel. I'm not taking a midnight train."

John's brain immediately told him to ask her to stay at his London home. It has a guest bedroom so why not. "You could," he hesitated. "Stay at my place. The guest bedroom is barely used."

She had agreed to go so she didn't really have a lot of options. "If it's not a problem for you, then that would be great. London isn't exactly cheap. Thank you."

"It's not a problem at all," he replied. "And thank you. At least now, dinner wouldn't be boring."

Clara's heart skipped a beat. Who knew the Doctor could do charm?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor returns to London

John made sure he had his train tickets with him before he left the house and placed them in the pocket of his jacket before dragging his luggage to the door. He made sure he didn't leave anything essential behind, especially for the board of examination meeting.

As much he dreaded the upcoming event, he was, in a way, looking forward to spending time with Clara. She had told him she would travel to London on Saturday morning and spend the weekend at his home. All he had to do next was make sure his house was spotless and clean, which is the not so fun part.

The Doctor hoped that the weekend would be kind to him, or at least not get stuck on a train for three hours like the first time he travelled to Hastings.

_"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the 09:58 service to London Victoria calling at St Leonards Warrior Square, Bexhill, Collington, Cooden Beach, Normans Bay, Pevensey Bay, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, Polegate, Lewes, Haywards Heath, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon, Clapham Junction and London Victoria. Please note that first class seats are available in the first, third and eight coaches and that you must have a valid first class ticket. Toilets are in second, fourth and fifth. Thank you."_

Luck was on his side that day as the train arrived at the final station on time, which, in a way was surprising since it was a rare occurrence. Grabbing his luggage from the storage area, he got off and headed towards the ticket barriers.

As soon as he got to the other side of the ticket barriers, he was surprised to see his sister, standing in the middle. She looked slightly annoyed.

"I thought we were supposed to meet at the university and collect my keys from you there. What are you doing here?" he questioned, puzzled.

Missy rolled her eyes and said, "Change of plans. I have a meeting with a student's parent in 45 minutes. Apparently, she's unhappy her son only got a pass for his coursework."

"So instead of having you wait for God knows how long while I deal with the inconvenience, I decided to wait for you here," she explained before producing a set of keys from her jacket. "Here's the keys. I only check your house once a month and that's it. You want it spick and span, you get somebody whose job does exactly that."

"Thank you," John said as he headed towards the taxi stand.

"That reminds me," his sister murmured. "You probably don't have any food at home tonight so you might as well come over – it would be lovely to find out what you and Clara have been up to."

There it was. Her sinister grin. She knew how much he loves eating so it was unlikely he would turn down her offer.

The Doctor shot her a look, saying nothing as he continued to walk while she headed to the tube station. "You're required to spill the beans tonight!"

His response was to walk even faster, ignoring Missy completely as if he didn't hear her. What did he ever do to have such an evil sister?

He repeated the same question in his mind later that day as he sat next to his sister on the round table, slowly eating his food.

So far, she hadn't mentioned anything about Clara, opting to talk about everything else.

"… She kept insisting that her son should get a higher mark and I told her that his mark isn't final until after the course meeting. It was a nightmare."

John had only listened to half of what she said. "At least she's not bothering you anymore."

He was mentally preparing himself for the inevitable. It was driving him mad.

"I hope not," Missy retorted finishing her meal. "Anyway, is your friend coming to the annual dinner or not?" she asked casually.

"She is. She'll be here on Saturday afternoon."

"Heading back on the same day?"

The Doctor hesitated. Missy tried her best to maintain her poker face.

"Clara will be spending the weekend at my home," he said weakly, almost whispering even.

"Oh."

John eyed his sister suspiciously. She was calm. Before he came to London, she constantly asked him about his relationship with Clara. He insisted they were friends because that's exactly what they were but she had other things in mind.

"So you and Clara. Where would you like to start?"

"Nowhere."

"I think you should feel a bit relieved. I like her."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked in defeat.

"Oh come on, man! Are you two together? How did you meet?"

"No, and in Hastings."

She decided to drop the bomb. "Was she the reason why you volunteered to teach at her school?"

Her brother froze. How did she find out?

"Relax. I saw the agreement letter on your desk and put two and two together. Also did some social media stalking."

"She said the school needed a Maths tutor and since I had a lot of free time, I didn't see why I couldn't teach a bit," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. She was probably going to tell him how right she had been to have made him go on sabbatical.

"Told you so," she murmured and stirred her drink. "I'm really looking forward to Saturday," she said with glee.

All that John could do was glower at his sister.

Missy sipped her tea. "You should probably clean your house. A bit too dusty for my liking, especially with all those guitars of yours lying around."

"I am well aware of that."

It was true. The moment he stepped into his home which he hadn't been in for quite a while, he knew the spring cleaning the house needed was overdue.

Everything would have to be cleaned – from the bedroom to the living room but that would have to wait until after the meeting.

"Right, won't be long now until we're finished," Kate uttered as she switched to the next slide. "Mathematics and Economics. All twelve students passed their dissertation and modules with five obtaining a first."

John put on his glasses as looked at the list of students from the course and their marks. "There's a student who got 98 for her Graph Theory coursework and the average is 65," he remarked. "Who's the module leader?"

"That would be me," Kate answered. "I think it's justified. Susan's proofs were on point and her LaTeX document looks professional - even the external examiner agreed."

The Doctor nodded. "Fair enough."

"Susan Foreman has been an excellent student. She deserves getting a first," Amy added.

"So is this it? We've covered all courses so I guess we can upload their marks now."

What made John feel a bit uncomfortable throughout the whole meeting was that Amy and Kate kept giving him looks. They almost looked smug.

Aside from that, the meeting was brilliant. All final year students passed and would be graduating. John was pleased that while he was absent, his colleagues did a fantastic job in his place.

When he returned home, he immediately took out the hoover from the storage cabinet underneath the staircase and began cleaning.

"Would it kill you to have helped keep the house a bit tidy, Missy?" John growled as he vacuumed every corner of the room before wondering what he was going to do with the boxes on the coffee table. Those were filled with books and papers and he had no intention of throwing them away. His study didn't have any storage space left so the only option was to keep everything, along with his guitars, in the basement.

Grabbing a box, he made his way downstairs and balanced the box with one arm before twisting the handle with his free hand and pushing the door open. Switching on the lights, he set the box down on the floor before his eyes adjusted in the dimly lit room.

It was fairly empty aside from several other boxes and an old chair in one corner.

The Doctor then saw a medium sized blue box sitting innocently in front of the shelf. He approached it slowly before reaching out to take off the lid but hesitated in the last moment, his hand hovering over the box. John was sure it contained River's personal belongings. He couldn't remember what exactly. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he was in the basement.

No, he couldn't bear it. Not after he discovered the truth. It still hurt.

With his sigh, he turned around and went back up to collect the rest of the boxes and two of his guitars. He decided to leave his favourite one in the study. Maybe he could play a few songs.

However, before he even had the chance to take a short break, his phone began buzzing. Slipping it out of the pocket of his slacks, he read the message from Clara.

_'Hey, since I'm coming over tomorrow could you give me your house address. Don't want to spend the whole day wondering where you live.'_

He immediately typed his home address.

_'Sorry. Completely forgot about it. 12 Victoria Street. Same street as Gallifrey Pub'_

Setting his phone next to him on the sofa, he grabbed his guitar and began playing random tunes until he realised he was playing the same notes. He wasn't sure what he was doing anymore, being out of practise.

His phone vibrated once more. He craned his neck to look at the message on the lock screen, his fingers continue to play the same notes.

_'Thank you. See you tomorrow'_

The Doctor continued to play his guitar all night long until he fell asleep with Clara Oswald in his mind. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the moment you've all been waiting for!

When John woke up the next day, he felt as if his back was about to break. That was what he got for sleeping on the sofa with a heavy guitar on top of him. He set the musical instrument aside before rubbing his eyes and blinking. It was bright outside and he wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping.

Grabbing his woke, he checked the time and stared at the screen to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. It was half an hour before midday. Clara could be here any minute and here he was, half-awake.

There was also a message from her minutes before he had woken up.

_'Hey, the train should get in at Charing Cross in about twenty minutes. Just passed Orpington'_

He still had time to shower and maybe shave a bit, he thought, as he rubbed his chin.

After getting a quick shower and shaving, he estimated that the train would have already arrived. There was no reason for him to panic. The house was clean – especially the guest bedroom and he looked decent.

Just as the Doctor had shoved the hoover into the storage cabinet, his phone vibrated.

_'Is your house the one that has a blue door? I don't see a number above it or on it'_

Meanwhile, Clara was standing outside, unsure of whether she had found the right house. She was sure she was on the same street as the pub the Doctor had mentioned, passing it just minutes ago. It had taken her longer than expected to find the Doctor's residence. In fact, she had never been to the area back when she lived in London. His house was located in west London, close to Paddington.

She checked her phone again to make sure the message was sent before hearing the blue door click. A moment later, it swung open and John stepped out with a smile.

"I managed to get the right house, then," Clara remarked as she slipped her phone into her jacket before greeting the Doctor with a hug, causing him to stiffen just a bit before wrapped his arms around her small frame.

"And just seconds ago, I thought you were lost on the other side of town," he replied jokingly before letting go and lifting her small suitcase from the ground.

"A gentleman, I see," she teased, earning a look from him.

Clara had expected his house to be tiny. It certainly looked that way from the outside but the moment she stepped into his home, she realised that looks can be deceiving.

"There's nothing really special about my home and um, we don't have anything to eat," John said as they entered the living room and set the suitcase down. "Would you like to have lunch somewhere?"

"That would be nice – I'm famished but I just need to quickly unpack."

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed and lifted her suitcase again. "I'll show you the guest bedroom."

He led her up the stairs before entering the hall, passing the study and opening the second door.

"I didn't know you could play the guitar," Clara commented as she stood in front of the study, noticing the instrument propped against the wall.

John couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm full of surprises."

Once Clara had changed to something more comfortable and suited the warm weather, both left the house in search of a restaurant.

"Do you have a particular place you'd like to go to?" John asked. "I know one, but we have to take the tube and change at Green Park…"

He stopped talking when he saw that his friend was giggling.

"What's so funny?"

"Doctor, we're just going to have lunch. You're not trying to swoon me, so stop being so nervous!" she chuckled before she wrapped her arm around his. "Come on, you daft old man. Where is this restaurant, again?"

John's brain was close to malfunctioning. He was not one for physical contact but with Clara, it felt natural, yet a bit nervous. "Just twenty minutes away by tube," he murmured. "And I'm not that old. I'm barely 50."

She laughed even more and he couldn't help but join her.

Lunch was mostly a quiet affair, aside from a few small talks and when one of the waiters had recognised John since he was a regular customer.

"Do you have any plans after this? We still have about three hours to kill before the event starts," the Doctor asked, dipping the last fry into ketchup.

"No, I used to live her before I moved down south and have practically seen everything."

"We could visit the university – I could show you around the faculty building," he suggested.

Clara thought that it was a wonderful idea and immediately agreed.

He paid their lunch, much to her annoyance and headed for the tube station once more.

"You're too much of a gentleman, Dr John Smith," she commented and poked his arm.

John flashed her a smile. "Nothing wrong with that."

"I will have my revenge by paying for our meal next time."

"Yes, boss."

The moment the university was within her sight, Clara couldn't help but feel a bit excited. She remembered the days when she applied to several universities and John's being one of them. Sadly, her application was rejected but that never stopped her from hoping that one day she could come back and do her PhD here.

"So this is where the Faculty of Science is located and we have three buildings where one houses the Maths and Physics department since those two are under the same school," the Doctor explained as they walked up the stairs to the cafe. "And this is the café. The main one is in the engineering building right across the street but I like it here – fewer humans."

"You know," Clara began as she looked around the empty building. "After my GCSEs, I dreamed about studying here and even applied to this university."

"What happened?"

"I didn't get accepted. The entry requirement was A*AA but I didn't get an A*," she explained. "But it all worked out fine in the end. Went to Leeds, instead."

The Doctor decided to joke a bit. "If it makes you feel any better, I've always thought people from the Arts and Humanities school to be a bit boring anyway."

Clara arched a brow. "Maybe it's because you're a Mathematician"

"Maybe, but I do know a bit about Jane Austen, to say the least," he replied, grinning.

"Daft man," she said and poked his chest before changing the subject. "So what's on the next floor?"

"A lecture hall and computer rooms – lots of it," he answered and led the way. "Come on, I'll show you where I spend most of my time teaching a large group of students."

The Doctor tapped his card against the card reader situated next to the doors before it beeped and he pushed one of the doors open.

Clara was greeted by a fairly large lecture hall that could probably seat two hundred students at once. John slid into the second last row of seats before beckoning her to join him by sitting next to him.

"This is where I give my lectures whenever it's a core module such as Calculus II for first year or Linear Algebra for second. Core modules would usually have about 100 to 150 students so this room is perfect."

"Do you spend a lot of time here, then?"

John glanced at her. "Not quite - it depends on my schedule for the year. Last year, I only taught two level 6 modules while supervising a postgraduate and two years ago, level 4, 6 and 7."

"You must be passionate about teaching, I mean, it must be different compared to teaching school students."

"I'll admit, I was slowly losing my interest over a year ago," the Doctor confessed, looking into the distance. "But thankfully, someone brought it back. I never felt so happy to be sharing knowledge again," he said, making eye contact.

Clara knitted her brows. She didn't quite understand him when he said he was losing interests in education. Before she had the chance to ask, he broke the silence.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

John merely shrugged. "For giving me the chance to volunteer at your school."

Without warning, Clara lunged forward in the small space and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a hug. "You can be silly sometimes."

"What's wrong with being silly?" he chuckled. "So, final tour of the day, my office? The next two floors are just more classrooms and computer rooms."

"Let's go," she said and grabbed his hand.

The Doctor certainly didn't mind holding hands with Clara Oswald.

By the time Clara had seen enough of his office and even had a look at some of the books from the massive bookshelf, they had less than an hour left before dinner.

"So your speciality is in Analysis, yeah?" she asked, skimming through a book he had published.

John nodded. "Analysis and Calculus, really."

"Well, well, well, what do we have here! A secret date!" teased a voice from the office entrance. "You're a bit early, John."

"I could say the same to you, Missy," he retorted.

She ignored her brother and greeted Clara instead. "How lovely to see you again!"

"You too."

Missy couldn't help but grin widely. "Now what have you two love birds been up to?"

Clara and John immediately became red-faced.

"I was just showing her around."

"I see!" Missy exclaimed and then playfully winking at her brother, making sure Clara saw it. "Well, I'll leave you two alone, then. Have to make sure everything is ready. Wouldn't want to displease Rassilon."

"What's Rassilon doing here? He's not a faculty member."

Missy shrugged. "But he's a member of the board of governors. I have to be nice as head of school so that we'll continue to receive funding."

If she had it her way, she would have loved to splash a glass of water into Rassilon's face. She hated the man not only because he was a total snob but because he had opposed the idea of her being promoted to head of school.

"Anyway, gotta go. Have fun!"

John rose from his chair and closed the door before speaking. "Sorry about that. Missy… well, is Missy."

"That's fine, and I can see that grumpiness is a family trait."

John's chuckle betrayed his scowl. "Funny, Miss Oswald."

The two left the office a few minutes before 7 and headed for the garden located in the centre, surrounded by the three faculty buildings. When they reached the area, it was already full of people. Tables were set up around the edges, leaving the middle space empty. One corner had several telescopes set up so that everyone could observe the stars when it got darker.

John spotted Amy and Rory in the crowd and waved at them.

"So this must be Clara," Amy said as she shook hands. "We've heard so much about you! I'm Amy, by the way, and this is my husband, Rory."

"Hi," Rory said awkwardly.

"Nice to meet you," Clara responded.

Amy gave the Doctor two thumbs up while she wasn't looking before disappearing into the crowd with her husband. John was definitely going to kill Missy.

"Doctor! Welcome back, sir!" a short, chubby man exclaimed as he approached them.

"I'm just here for a short while, Strax. Where's Vastra? I haven't seen her."

"She is on holiday with Jenny, sir," Strax is one of the people working for the faculty's administration, under the guidance of Madame Vastra. "And who is this boy – I mean young lady?"

John gave Clara an apologetic smile before introducing her to the man.

"Sorry, that's Strax for you. He tends to get everyone confused."

They spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company, eating good food, and shortly before everyone could gaze at the stars, danced once Amy, Kate and Missy (from afar) persuaded the Doctor to do so.

"Would you care to dance?" he finally asked.

Clara smiled. "And here I thought you'd never ask."

They danced under the bright stars that night and despite the crowd, it felt as if they were in a room all to themselves, never tearing their gaze from one another.

He held her ever so gently. Both hands resting on her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he bent down, Clara knew what was happening. Her heart beat wildly and she wasn't sure what to do. However, the moment was interrupted as the music died. John immediately pulled away.

_"Ladies and gentlemen, it is 11:12, Saturn can now be observed!"_

People began approaching the dozens of telescopes placed in the corner to look at the planet.

John looked up at the skies before he reached for Clara's hand and nodding to one of the buildings. She smiled and gripped his hand.

He led the way up the staircase to the open rooftop where a single telescope was placed in the middle. "I knew how busy it was going to be so I asked a favour from Strax to set one up, up here. Go on."

Clara slowly approached the telescope but stopped when she felt a soft material wrapped around her. The Doctor had taken off his jacket to make sure she wasn't cold. "Like I said, too much of a gentleman."

He smiled, placing his hands in his pockets, looking up to the skies while Clara observed the planet next to him.

She had never seen one in such proximity before and it was truly amazing. Everything about the evening was. She silently gazed at the Doctor. At some point, she would have to be brave. Brave enough to move on. Maybe it was time.

John felt as if he was being watched and so he locked eyes with Clara. "I think it's only appropriate for me to thank you. Tonight has been absolutely wonderful. We danced, ate good food – never thought it would be at uni and looked at the stars. I don't think I've ever felt so happy before-"

She stopped, suddenly, realising what she had said. John suddenly placed a hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear. She placed her hand on his. "Thank you," she whispered before getting on her toes and placing her lips on his.

_You're the meaning in my life_

_You're the inspiration_

_You bring feeling to my life_

_You're the inspiration_

The Doctor yielded to her kiss and cupped her face with both his hands. They could hear music playing again on the ground floor.

_Want to have you near me_

_I want to have you hear me saying_

_No one needs you more than I need you_

It truly was a magical moment for them both that night. 


	14. Chapter 14

"You can't go wrong with 'The Phantom of the Opera'!" Clara giggled as she wrapped her arm around John's, both walking down the busy streets of London, trying to find one of those 24-hour buses. It was already midnight but there were still people out and about.

He groaned in response. "I'm not saying it's bad or anything but I've forced to watch the show with Missy and Amy far too many times."

"I've seen it 11 times," she declared proudly, earning a groan from him.

John had always found it odd, yet amazing how a person could watch a particular show many times without getting sick of it. He had only seen 'The Phantom of the Opera' three times and thought that was enough. "I was already getting sick of it by the third and last time."

The reached a bus stop and the Doctor read the schedule to see if they had stopped at the right one. "This is it. The bus can take us all the way to Queen's Park and we can walk from there."

The waited for the bus for several minutes and throughout the time, Clara still had her arm wrapped around his and if the Doctor was completely honest, he didn't want to let go either.

The ride home was a quiet affair and once they reached John's home, they never felt so tired, yet alive.

"I had such a wonderful night, tonight. Thank you again," Clara murmured as she stood in front of the guest bedroom.

The Doctor smiled. "Thank you for exactly the same," he hid his hands in his pockets, trying to hide the fact he was shaking with both excitement and nervousness. "I suppose Missy did one thing right, aside from forcing me to go on sabbatical."

"If anything, you should be thanking your sister – we wouldn't have met if it wasn't for her," Clara pointed out.

John grunted. "Let's not boost her ego. I doubt she will ever stop talking about right she is."

They stared at each other for a while before Clara got on her toes and gave the Doctor a peck on the lips. "Good night, John Smith."

"Good night, Clara Oswald," he murmured as he headed for his room.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him say her name, his Scottish accent having that much of an effect on her. She leaned her back against the door as soon as she went in and couldn't help but grin.

Morning came by quickly and when Clara had woken up, it was almost ten o'clock. She laid in bed for a few minutes longer, wondering if the Doctor was already up. There was only one way to find out. Throwing away the covers, she got out of bed and entered the bathroom. A shower should freshen her up.

Making her way downstairs, she could smell coffee coming from the kitchen. It was all the confirmation needed to know John was already up.

"Morning," Clara greeted happily as she entered the kitchen. Two plates filled with fresh pastries were placed on the table along with a pair of mugs.

John turned around as he held a huge mug of coffee in one hand. "Oh, hi, good morning," he replied, almost in a nervous tone. He had woken earlier than his guest and decided to buy breakfast (more like brunch) from a bakery nearby, remembering he wasn't that good of a cook and hadn't really stocked up food.

"I got some pastries from the bakery nearby – don't really know what to cook and um, well," he stammered. "I don't really know how to cook."

To his surprise, Clara merely chuckled. "Doctor, this is really nice and the pastries smell wonderful."

John finally beamed and sat down next to her but he was still acting a bit strange. Most of the time, he was avoiding her gaze, only making small talk.

What she didn't know was that he had woken up remembering the events from the previous night – the dancing, gazing at the stars and the kiss. He swore he could still feel her lips on his. The problem is, he wasn't sure what would happen now. Their relationship had obviously changed. How was he supposed to act now? It had been so long since he was in a relationship, choosing to focus on his career instead. Are they now an item? Was it just a one-time thing?

There was also the fact that his sabbatical was ending soon. Very soon. What would happen then?

Brunch only consisted of them making small talk and about their plan to return to Hastings later in the evening. It had left Clara wondering if she had said something to have caused the Doctor to return back to his shell.

"Do you have everything?" John asked as he locked the door, double checking that nothing was left behind.

"Yep," Clara chirped, holding her train ticket. The voice at the back of her mind was still nagging over why the Doctor was behaving strangely. "Doctor."

"Yes?" he answered, finally turning around to look at her.

She bit her lip, debating whether to ask if everything was fine or not. "Is everything fine?"

He silently nodded, forcing a smile. They hardly spoke during the journey to the train station.

"Would like some snacks?" John asked, after looking at the information board for their train platform. It hadn't come up yet.

"Thanks, but I'm good."

He arched a brow. "Are you sure? The journey is two hours long. You might get hungry."

"I think it's you who's going to get hungry," she joked, causing him to blush.

"I'm not denying that I will mostly get hungry," he said, smiling at her. He seemed a lot less tense now. He disappeared into a convenience store and emerged minutes later with drinks and snacks.

The platform number for their train finally emerged on screen and they made their way to the ticket barrier.

_"Platform 12 for the 14:47 service to Ore and Littlehampton. Please note that the train will divide at Haywards Heath. Customers wishing to travel to Ore should sit in the front four coaches while customers travelling to Littlehampton can sit in the rear eight coaches."_

Boarding the front coach of the train, where it was deserted as most customers were heading to Littlehampton, the Doctor stored their luggage in the luggage area before joining Clara.

The train to Hastings was almost always empty. It was unlikely they were going to be disturbed.

As they waited for the train to depart, Clara glanced at John and wondered if he was truly alright.

A loud whistle was heard and a moment later, the train began moving slowly, away from the platform.

Silently, she placed a hand on his, causing him to tense a bit before relaxing. They didn't need to exchange any words. They intertwined their fingers and held on to each other throughout the journey.

From the corner of her eye, Clara could see that the Doctor was fiddling with his wedding ring. He looked as if his head was somewhere else and she didn't want to push him any further. Instead, she leaned her head against his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

She could finally feel him relax and to her surprise, she felt his thumb caressing her hand.

For now, they would enjoy the moment, basking in each other's company.


	15. Chapter 15

_"We will shortly be arriving at Hampden Park."_

_"Any unchecked tickets, please!"_

Clara instantly woke up from her sleep at the booming voice of the ticket inspector as he passed through. He had checked their tickets before so she didn't really bother moving. She had her head rested against John's shoulder and snuggled even closer to him. As she was about to drift off into slumber, she heard him clear his throat and so, she opened her eyes.

"Clara, I need to use the toilet," he whispered to her urgently.

"Sorry," she murmured before letting go of his arm and giggling when she saw the Doctor dash to the next carriage. It was probably thanks to all those drink and snacks he bought at the station.

He returned shortly after, looking relieved.

"That's what you get for drinking a whole bottle of coke," she teased as he took his seat next to her.

"Funny."

"Anyway, how long was I asleep?" she asked, looking at the time. They were only half an hour away from reaching their destination.

John thought for a while, trying to make an estimation. "Forty minutes, I assume. I started to notice after Haywards Heath."

His companion nodded in agreement. "Sounds about right."

Clara had decided to give John some space once they had returned to Hastings. They had reached the small town late in the evening after a delay caused by a signalling problem in Eastbourne.

She had assumed he would call in a couple of days but that didn't happen. She had contemplated calling him, asking if he was alright and maybe fancied having lunch or dinner together but she remembered he was probably busy with his research.

Her worries lessen a bit when Donna informed her John stopped by at her bookstore. At least she knew he was alive and well. However, she was confused as to why he hadn't made any effort to contact her at all.

By the end of the week, she sent him a text message, asking him if he was fine. When he didn't reply an hour later, she gave up. "Screw it!" she snapped and looked for her jacket. She was coming over to his house whether he wants it or not.

The walk to his home felt like forever despite being only twenty minutes long. She stood in front of the house, having a half-mind to turn around and forget what she was about to do.

Clara was about to turn around but she realised something. No, she wouldn't be afraid anymore. She wouldn't run away from her problems any longer. She had told herself to be brave that night. She wasn't about to put the effort to waste.

Taking a deep breath, she raised a hand to the door and knocked several times before waiting. Footsteps could be heard before the door swung open and she was greeted by a surprising sight. It looks as if the Doctor was growing a beard. Not only that, but he was wearing a pair of plaid trousers and an old Bowie t-shirt. "Clara?"

She couldn't help but laugh. "Doctor, what's with the attire? Are you going for homeless magician?"

Clara couldn't help but think how John made it so easy to forget about her worries.

He furrowed his brows in confusion before stepping aside to let her in. "What's wrong with the way I dress right now?"

"Homeless magician," she repeated and stepped into the living room. The place looked a lot messier than the last time she was here, with books stacked up on the coffee table.

"I like the trousers," John murmured. "And, sorry about the mess – I've just started packing."

"Packing? What do you mean?"

John swallowed the lump in his throat. "My sabbatical is ending in five weeks."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You mean you're leaving Hastings? You're returning to London."

There was a hint of sadness in her tone as she spoke. She then remembered why she was there in the first place. "Doctor, why have you been avoiding me since we got back?"

If John was completely honest, he was tempted to call her every day since the past week. He wanted to but was hesitant, afraid, that whatever happiness comes in the future will be destroyed, gone. Besides, why would somebody who is as intelligent and beautiful as Clara want to be with someone like him?

"I deserve an explanation!" she snapped, frustrated at his silence. "You took me to London, showed me your university, we danced, star gazed and kissed! And yet, here you are acting as if it meant nothing!"

"It's not like that!" he interjected. "Clara, there's so much I want to say to you but I don't know where to begin. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do now. It's been so long… I thought I'd just live the rest of my life alone after River died and then I get a bomb dropped on me… and now you're in the picture."

John sank into the sofa, hands gripping his head.

It was at that moment Clara finally understood why he had acted the way he did. Just like her, he was heartbroken too. Slowly, she sat next to him and took his hands in hers. "Doctor, you are not the only person who ever lost someone. It's the story of everybody," she said gently, placing a hand on his cheek.

He finally looked at her in the eyes. "It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid."

Caressing his cheek, she spoke softly. "When you are ready to tell, then I will be here to listen."

He nodded weakly before clasping her hand. "You've lost someone, too, haven't you?"

Clara looked down at their intertwined hands before nodding. "I lost my mother when I was just a teenager, and I lost someone who I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. That's how life is. Eventually, everything ends."

"But everything also begins," he finished.

"Doctor, I will be honest with you, I'd like to spend more time with you – to get to know you better."

John finally cracked a smile. "I feel the same way, Clara Oswald."

It was a beginning. A beginning for the both of them.

They stared at each other before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"So are you really moving back to London?" she questioned, staring at the books.

"I am," he answered. "I was thinking about packing some belongings and taking them back to my home. Might return to London in two weeks just to get the unnecessary stuff out of the way."

"Do you often play? Your guitar."

Hands still locked, he blushed. "I used to before I moved here. Thought bringing my guitar along would just distract me."

"Maybe you could play a couple of songs for me."

John grinned at Clara. "How about you and I travel to London together in two weeks? This time, we could… maybe have a proper date?"

She beamed before closing the gaps between them and giving him a kiss. "I'd like that very much."


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for some fluffiness!

Clara couldn't believe how two weeks could pass so quickly and how much her relationship with John had developed. He had finally come out of his shell and hopefully for good, this time. They had gone back to their regular routine of meeting for coffee after school, although much to Clara's annoyance, haven't been on a proper date yet that could be blamed on her busy schedule and the fact that the Doctor would be moving back to London soon.

All thoughts were put aside when she saw John walking to her, dragging a large suitcase behind him. "I'm guessing that's filled with all your books?" she asked, rising from her seat and producing a set of tickets.

"Mostly books and module descriptors," the Doctor corrected before Clara gave him a kiss on his cheek. "Missy told me to revise and update a few of my modules. Boring stuff."

"I don't envy you."

John shot her a look before his features softened, unable to retain his seriousness. "Shall we?"

They boarded the train without any hope of it ever reaching London or time, expecting it to be delayed, stopped in the middle nowhere due to signalling problems or due to some other generic excuse but no, to their surprise, the train actually got in on time.

"I recall you mentioning something about being out and about in London tonight," the Doctor said as they strode to the taxi stand.

Clara merely shrugged innocently. "You'll see… but I don't think you'll be pleased."

It then dawned on him what she was talking about. Not again. First Missy, then Amy and now Clara.

"Please tell me we're not watching that one show I've seen three times now. Four if we're going through with the plan."

She gave him an apologetic smile. "To be fair, it's been two years since I last saw the Phantom. I'm really excited to see how the new cast performs."

John groaned in defeat. "Whatever you say, boss."

"It won't be that bad," she insisted.

If the Doctor was completely honest, it wasn't as bad as he had expected it to be. They had an early at one of the restaurants located close to the theatre and made some small talk, exchanging childhood stories, dreams, and hopes – topics that they were more than happy to talk about. He found out that Clara's dream is to one day obtain a doctorate.

"I've always day dreamed about it – I mean, sure, it won't be easy but the idea of just researching more about the literature that I love seems intriguing," she murmured.

John nodded. "Maybe you should look into your potential supervisors and have you come up with an idea?"

"No, I haven't seriously considered it. Besides, there's always questions about funding and whether I'm willing to do it part-time."

"I'd suggest you work on it full-time. Trust me, you're better off focusing on the thesis instead of worrying about everything else and as for funding, you may have to ask around," the Doctor advised.

"Still, I doubt I'll be making that sort of decision in the near future," Clara said, taking a sip of her wine. "What about you? Any dreams, hopes?"

John couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not as amazing as yours, I'm afraid. Going on holiday to Italy or Spain would be nice. Take some time off from work for maybe a month just to go travelling around Europe."

There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke. Clara couldn't help but wonder why.

John had dreamed of doing such a thing ever since he was married to River but her death had led him to shun the idea away. He wasn't very good at being alone. Surely enough, travelling Europe by himself would just be rubbing salt in the wound.

He suddenly felt her hand on top of his. "Maybe you will achieve that someday."

The Doctor stared at her for a moment before smiling. Someday. One day. "Maybe."

Shortly after dinner, he mentally prepared himself for the two and a half hours of constant singing and watching two men trying to win the heart of the girl – one by manipulation and the other by simply being a 'slave of fashion'.

They were seated in the stalls, at the back, with a clear view of the stage. At least a pillar wasn't semi-blocking his view like last time.

"Oh, this is so exciting! I've never seen a show before, let alone the Phantom of the Opera!" a woman gushed to her friend as they took their seats in front of the couple.

Oh look, a soon-to-be fan.

"I've seen it ten times and the ending still makes me cry."

The Doctor furrowed his brows. What was so sad about the ending? It's no surprise that the girl would have gone with the good looking young man instead of the disfigured mad genius.

"Doctor," Clara called, waving a hand in his face.

"Sorry, I… was just spacing out," he explained.

She stared at him. "If you don't feel like watching-"

"No, no, it's not because of that," he added hastily. "I was just thinking about the plot."

She didn't get the chance to question him further as the lights began to dim. "Are we going to end up having a debate over who Christine should have ended up with?" she whispered.

"Perhaps," he teased, grinning.

John had to admit, it wasn't as bad or boring as he had remembered it to be. Then again, he hadn't seen the show for years and the fact that Clara started holding his hand at the start of "All I Ask of You" may have had something to do with it.

Towards the end, she rested her head against his shoulder and he couldn't help but lean against her. Maybe it was due to the song.

_"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime."_

_"Say the word and I will follow you."_

_"Share each day with me each night, each morning."_

_"You alone can make my song take flight! It's over now the music of the night!"_

As the music ended and curtains were drawn, the audience began clapping loudly. What caught John's attention, however, was Clara's sobbing.

"I thought you said you've seen it more than ten times," he said, not understanding how she could still be saddened by the same ending.

"It still gets me," she sniffed, letting go of his hand to wipe her eyes.

He was so used to seeing Amy cry after the show that he knew what to do. "Come on, let's go outside and get some fresh air."

Once they were outdoors, John gave Clara a few moments to collect herself.

"I'm so sorry, you must be thinking I'm a cry baby," she finally spoke.

He couldn't but laugh. "It's fine. Amy was much worse. Had to bring a box of tissues the second time we saw it. Missy thankfully didn't cry but she kept complaining over why Christine ended up with Raoul."

She joined in the laughter. "How'd you end up watching the show with them?"

The Doctor shrugged. "That is still a mystery. I'm pretty sure they mind controlled me. Anyway, home?"

There was still a bit of daylight but it was already late. It's not like any shops were open aside from the pubs. Without saying a word, Clara grabbed his hand and nodded. "Home."


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you have a few tissues ready (or maybe not XD)  
> I'm not sure if this chapter will be emotional or not. Maybe for some, it will.

It was almost 11 by the time they finally got home but neither of them felt sleepy or tired and so, they retreated to the living room after making tea.

"I still don't understand why everyone wants her to be with the Phantom," John argued. "He obviously manipulated her and tried to kill her boyfriend."

"They got engaged towards the end," Clara corrected. "And let's be honest, the only reason the Phantom acts that way is because he was mistreated all his life. You can't really blame him. If he wasn't disfigured, there wouldn't be a story."

"I still think she shouldn't be ending up with either of them."

She raised her eyebrows. "Now that's something I don't hear often. Fire away, professor."

"I'm a reader. Not a professor yet," he said.

"Oh, shut up, daft man!" she exclaimed and threw a cushion at him which he caught easily. "Show off!"

Grinning, John put the cushion aside murmured. "I have every right to be. I'm a doctor, remember."

"Maybe you won't be the only doctor in this room for long," she teased.

"I think 'Doctor Oswald' has a nice ring to it."

This time, Clara couldn't help but blush. An awkward silence enveloped the room.

"I remember you saying you play the guitar," she spoke, breaking the silence. She could see how his blue eyes lit up at the mention of it. "I'd love to hear you play."

John licked his lips, a nervous smile present on his face. "Fine, but just well, don't laugh."

"Why would I laugh?" she questioned, confused as he went upstairs to retrieve the musical instrument which was kept safe in a case.

Placing it in front of him, he opened the case and pulled it out.

Clara couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, are you seriously going for a punk-rock magician look?"

He shot her a look before leaning back against the backrest of the sofa, adjusting a few strings.

"So, Doctor Disco, show me what you've got," she teased.

This time, it was John who laughed. "Doctor Disco? I think I'll tell my students to call me that from now on."

He couldn't help but stare at Clara with admiration as she laughed harder. Here he was, an old man holding an electric guitar in his hands trying to impress a woman much younger than him. A woman who seemed to be enjoying his company more than anything. He found it hard to believe he was not dreaming this whole thing.

He had considered playing songs from the 80s but his mind couldn't and wouldn't stop playing that song which was stuck in his head. He didn't know what to call it. All he knew was that it started that night when he thought of Clara.

As he began playing, his friend listened intently to the music.

She watched as he moved his fingers expertly from several strings to the next, mesmerised not only by the music but also by the Doctor.

When he finished, she asked, "What, what was that music called?"

He thought for a moment, looking at his guitar before looking up at her. They locked eyes for a moment before he said, "I think it's called… Clara."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You wrote… a song for me?"

"I'll be honest, I didn't quite know what I was doing, it was as if my fingers were moving by themselves and please, don't ever mention this to Missy, she-"

He wasn't able to finish as Clara wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "You know, for a Scotsman, you're a big softie and a hopeless romantic."

He returned her hug. "Just don't tell Missy," he murmured and pulled away shortly after as it was getting a bit uncomfortable with the guitar between them.

"Could you play it again?"

He granted her a smile and nodded.

That was how they had spent the rest of the night. She listening to him play and he, enjoying every single moment of it.

When Clara woke up the following morning, she felt something warm and soft under her. It felt so nice and so, she snuggled closer to whatever it was, that was until she felt it move too.

Opening her eyes, she became aware she was in the living room but that wasn't the only thing she realised. Lying underneath her was none other than the Doctor, fast asleep.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, she untangled herself from his arm and got up. Not wanting to disturb him, she silently went to the downstairs bathroom to freshen up.

It wasn't until over an hour later when John woke up to the smell of food and coffee. He could hear something being cooked in the kitchen. It felt nice. It felt homely.

He had to familiarise himself with his current surroundings. He wasn't in his room or his study. Rubbing his eyes, he rose from the sofa and entered the kitchen, greeted by the sight of Clara making an omelette.

"Sorry, I must have overslept," John apologised as he looked over her shoulder to see the omelette.

"If anything, I was more than happy to cook," she chirped and turned around to give him a peck on his cheek before bursting into laughter.

"What?"

The Doctor's hair was a tangled mess of curls, messier than usual. Some were even sticking out.

"Haha, very funny."

He couldn't remember the last time he had a delicious home cooked meal. Missy wasn't the type to happily cook for people as she would rather buy food than going through the trouble of preparing it so when John tasted Clara's omelette, he felt as if he was right at home.

"This is delicious," he commented finishing his meal before stealing a piece from Clara's plate.

"Oi!" she snapped playfully.

"My house my rules."

"And who exactly did the cooking?"

The two stared at each other before laughing together.

"How much books do you actually have in there?" Clara asked in amazement as she peered into the suitcase. "It's not smaller on the outside, is it?"

John took out the last book from the luggage and gave her a confused look. "Just bigger on the inside," he answered casually before zipping the luggage back.

"Smaller on the outside, bigger on the inside. Same thing," she said, unable to prevent herself from smiling. "Anyway, where are you planning to store all these books?"

He stacked up several in one corner said, "That's easy, some of these are just borrowed from the university library but as for the rest, well, the basement, I suppose."

He carried a stack with both hands and walked down the stairs to the basement, Clara following behind him. "Could you give me a hand and open the door?"

"Sure," she replied and reached for the door knob. "Where's the light switch?"

"To your right."

One item immediately caught her attention. On top of the shelf was a clockwork squirrel. "Where did you get this?"

John set the books down and went over to her. "Ah, I actually built that. Dismantled a radio and built a clockwork squirrel because the radio kept playing Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre and I got fed-up."

Clara set the clockwork squirrel back in its place and turned around but her face fell into a frown when she noticed the Doctor staring at the floor. No, he was staring at a box. "Doctor?"

"Remember when you told me that if I were ready, you'd listen?"

"The offer still stands."

He exhaled before grabbing the box and taking the lid off. "I never really knew what was in this box. Everything in here belongs to my late wife, River."

One particular thing caught his attention and he pulled it out before continuing. "We got married about twenty years ago and I thought, was sure, I'd spend the rest of my life with her but sometimes life has a funny way of… working. She became ill less than a year into our marriage and then passed away."

"I'm sorry," Clara said sincerely, placing a comforting hand on his.

He stared at the blue book, contemplating whether he should read the contents or not. "I didn't really bother about being in a relationship after that, just focused on my career and a few years ago, a man came over. Said he was her fiancée and that he had been looking for her since she disappeared."

He opened the diary and a note slipped down to the floor.

"He wanted to know if he had found the right address. Told him he was years too late. She was already dead. He explained to me they were supposed to get married but a week before the wedding, she left, leaving the engagement ring behind."

Picking the note from the floor, John unfolded it.

"I wasn't upset over the fact she was engaged to another man while we were in a relationship. I was upset that she hid such a thing from me. I honestly didn't care if she was previously married. All she had to do was tell me. I would have loved her either way."

He read the note.

_I hope that one day, I shall be able to tell him the truth about my past. I am not proud of what I did, leaving behind a man I was soon to be married but my heart felt nothing for him. It was only a misunderstanding, a mistake. I know that John will understand but I admit I am afraid. If there is one thing I am sure now more than ever, it is that I love him. For he is a man who believes in kindness and compassion. A man who loves knowledge with a passion. A man who sees that virtue is only virtue in extremis. That is why above all, I love him. My husband, my madman in a box. My Doctor._

_Perhaps one day I will get the chance to be truthful of my past. Perhaps one day, I will be brave enough._

"Doctor?" Clara said gently, rubbing his hand with her thumb, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked at her with teary, red eyes.

He folded the note and placed it back in the diary before closing it.

"I suppose you are right, Clara," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Everything ends."

"But everything also begins," she finished.

It certainly felt like an ending and a beginning, indeed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor leaves for London but not before saying goodbye to Clara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it, guys and gals. The next chapter will be an epilogue to this story. See you there! (And I hope the ending will do this story justice)   
> Oh, and hope you enjoy reading the chapter :)

The day had finally come. The day he would be moving back to London. It was surreal. He had dreaded and loved the past three weeks. Dreaded because he was leaving such a small, quiet town where he had met Clara and loved it because of their time spent together. Going to the local theatre, cinema, spending an evening at the pier.

If only time would slow down just a bit.

Setting the last suitcase in the hallway, John went back upstairs to make sure he didn't leave anything behind. The house was practically the way it was the first time he had moved in.

He heard the doorbell rang and knew exactly who was behind the door. He had been expecting her. He couldn't even understand why she wanted to be here in the first place. Swinging the door open, he was greeted by the grinning face of his dear sister.

It was a sight he was already used so he knew she was up to something.

"Hello, dear brother," Missy said as she stepped inside.

"Just say whatever you want to say," he said in defeat.

She arched a brow, giving him an innocent look. "Whatever makes you think I have something in my mind?"

"If you don't, then I suppose you can just sit and wait. I have to… be somewhere first before we leave."

She took a seat in one of the empty chairs. "Off to see the puppy, are you? How's it going by the way? Are you two going to continue the relationship? Are you even in a relationship to begin with?" she asked casually, examining her nails.

"What do you mean 'puppy'?" he demanded.

His sister rolled her eyes. "Will you calm down. I was just pulling your leg," she reasoned. "But I was serious about the latter."

He had a growing suspicion she knew about his trip to London several weeks ago. Something he did not mention to his sister. He didn't see why should tell her.

"I… don't know. We've been on a couple of dates," he explained truthfully.

They had never discussed it. They had never talked over if they will see each other again. If anything, they were biding their time, enjoying each other's company. It was the elephant in the room which they never addressed.

She nodded, waiting for him to elaborate but he kept quiet. "And?"

"And what?" he asked, feeling annoyed. John felt as if he was being interrogated.

"Are you two going to see each other again," she said. "Duh!"

He merely shrugged and quietly murmured, "I don't know."

Missy stared at her brother with a blank look before leaning back against the chair. "Off you go, then. I'll see you at the train station."

Putting on his jacket, he handed her the house keys and heard her say, "Idiot."

Cracking a grin, he answered, "Everybody knows that."

Without another word, he left the house and walked all the way to Clara's flat.

Within 10 minutes, he reached her home and pressed the buzzer. A moment later, he heard footsteps approaching the door. Expecting to see Clara, he was instead greeted by Donna Noble.

"You ain't the FedEx guy."

John arched a brow before he spoke. "No, I, um, I'm here to see Clara."

"Should have pushed the correct button, then, Martian man," Donna commented frustratingly before walking away. "Got my hopes up for nothing."

He stepped in and decided to knock on the door instead, not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice. He waited for a few seconds and was about to knock again when the door swung open.

If there was one thing he wasn't prepared for, it was the look Clara was giving him. He was speechless. He couldn't help but wonder how she could inflate her eyes.

They didn't need to exchange any words as one look from him confirmed everything and she immediately wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

"Can't you extend your sabbatical?" she asked, voice muffled. She knew it was a selfish request but she couldn't help it.

"I wish I could but I can't," he answered with a low voice, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'm sure we can keep in touch."

He was a total idiot. John wanted to say so much more but he didn't have the courage to. What's more is that there was a strange feeling he had been experiencing for a while now. A strange yet familiar feeling.

"I'll miss you, Doctor."

"I can say the same about you, Clara Oswald."

Pulling away, she gave him a sad smile before getting on her toes and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"All the best in your future endeavours," she said sincerely. Half her mind told her to send him off at the station while the other half told her to spare herself the trouble and pain.

The walk to the train station was a rather tormenting one. The closer he was, the less he was looking forward to returning to London. John couldn't understand why. It wasn't like he wasn't going to see Clara again.

He spotted Missy in one corner and approached her. "There's a train to Charing Cross that leaves in 10 minutes. We can take that or take the one to Brighton and switch at Lewes," Missy explained, eyeing her brother carefully.

"Either one is fine."

Missy considered asking if he was alright but thought against it. She would get him to talk another time. For now, she would give him some space. "Let's just take the Charing Cross one. Can't be bothered to switch trains."

Silently, he followed his sister to the ticket barrier and crossed to the platform on the other side.

Once they were seated, Missy thought about asking John what had happened. He looked lost, devastated even.

"You know, when I first sent you off, I thought your attitude wouldn't improve much," she began. "I had expected you to not finish your research, come back to the university empty handed but it seems I was proven wrong."

The Doctor glanced at Missy. "What's your point?"

"What was more shocking was how much your demeanour improved. You were a total wreck just a year ago, losing interest in work, delivering lectures that lasted only twenty minutes tops, barely eating and probably barely sleeping too," she continued, smiling. "The biggest catalyst of this change wasn't sending you away – it was her, wasn't it?"

His sister gave him a devious look. "You're in love, aren't you? You'd have to be to have saved her from that rabid dog, took her to the annual dinner when you could have just not attended like you always do and," she said, chuckling. "You actually went to see the Phantom of the Opera with her!"

She knew how much he hated the show and yet, he was more than willing to go through with it. He was willing to do anything Clara asked him to.

"You're so in love that I'm convinced you'd go to hell if she told you to."

The realization finally struck him. He was in love! The strange feeling he had been experiencing for months now was love. He was in love with Clara Oswald. He needed to let her know that. He knew he had to see her again. He just had to.

Without warning, John jumped from his seat and ran out of the train. The guard was about to blow his whistle when he saw John running past him. Shortly after, Missy walked out with his suitcase.

"Don't mind him. He's an idiot who's in love," she explained before walking into the waiting area.

John crossed over the platform and ran to the ticket barrier. He asked the guard to open the gate and he did so, although in a confused state.

He ran all the way to her flat, passing Donna and a FedEx man who was delivering her parcel.

"Oi! Watch it!" Donna yelled when the Doctor nearly bumped into her.

He knocked on her door frantically. The moment it swung open, he said, "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life. I don't want to add another one."

Clara couldn't quite understand why he was still standing in front of her when he should be at the train station or even on his way to London by now. "John, what-"

She didn't get the chance to finish as he cupped her face with both hands and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss with equal passion. His legs were burning, heart racing wildly but it didn't matter.

"I love you," he murmured once they pulled apart. "I love you, Clara Oswald."

"I got the message clearly after you nearly snogged me to death there," she joked, trying to convince herself she wasn't in a frenzied dream.

"Snogging in the hallway will incur a ten quid fine!" Donna said, grinning as she passed them.

They shared a laugh before the Doctor cleared his throat. "I would love to see you again. I don't mind travelling down here during the weekend or whenever I'm not lecturing."

"I can do the same, to be fair and yes, that would be lovely," Clara replied, kissing him. "Now go catch your train. I don't want your sister to wait for too long."

"Getting rid of me so soon I see," he joked.

His features became serious again. "You will think about the PhD, yes?" he asked. "I'm sure you could get an offer from the university or any university really. If you're in London, you can stay with me."

Clara giggled. "Yes, I will put some serious thought into it. At least I wouldn't have to worry about rent."

They shared another laughter before John decided it was best he leave. He grabbed both her hands in his before kissing them. "I look forward to seeing you again, Clara."

"Old-fashioned idiot."

"Your idiot Doctor."

"My idiot Doctor," she agreed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Three Years Later**

The weather was just perfect, it was sunrise, he was in bed with the most beautiful woman in the universe and they were on their second day of their honeymoon in Rome. He couldn't ask for anything better right now.

It's funny how time works. He could still remember the very day he had confessed his love to her, running out of the train like a mad man and asking the ticket officer to open the gate. To anybody else, it was madness and maybe it was. He couldn't help but chuckle at the memory.

Clara stirred in his embrace before snuggling even closer to him. Placing an arm around her, he closed his eyes and returned to slumber. That was until he was woken from his dream by the sound of an alarm.

Jolting up from the bed, he grabbed his phone from the night stand and switched off the alarm. Stupid alarm. He was having the most pleasant of dreams, being in Rome with his wife. It's too bad that wasn't the case right now, aside from the wife bit. That was real, even in this reality. They had gotten married just about five months ago in a small wedding with guests consisting of close family members and friends.

It was a shame that they were not able to go on their honeymoon immediately due to his busy schedule and her with her PhD but the good news is that they would be leaving for Italy in two weeks. He was looking forward to that.

Blinking his eyes a couple of times, he checked the time. 05:45. He could sleep for a few more minutes. Why not. Why did he even set his alarm that early anyway?

He glanced to his left to see that his wife wasn't in the spot where she'd usually be. He heard the sound of the toilet being flushed and a moment later, the door to the bathroom swung open before Clara stepped out, looking a bit pale.

"Clara," he called out, knitting his brows. "Are you alright?" he asked as she joined him in bed.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just felt a bit sick."

He couldn't help but notice she looked a bit nervous and slightly happy. "Are you sure you're fine? I can take you to see a doctor."

She placed a finger to his lips, chuckling. "John, relax. I can assure you I am fine."

He eyed her intently. "If you say so."

"Anyway, I'm surprised you're up so early," she commented snuggling against him, resting her head on his chest.

He began caressing her arm. "I didn't set my alarm properly."

"Hmmm," his wife murmured, closing her eyes.

He had assumed she went back to sleep and was about to slowly get out of bed but suddenly, she spoke.

"John," she began before looking up.

"Yes?" he answered and kissed her.

"I have something to tell you," she said sitting up, causing him to sit up as well.

"Clara, now you're just confusing me. Is something the matter?"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop being so worried, daft man," she complained before grabbing his hand.

"I'm-"

"Pregnant," he finished and guessed correctly after putting the pieces together.

Clara pursed her lips. "How did you figure that out so quickly? Was it that obvious?"

"Well, you looked pale when you walked out of the bathroom, was nervous and probably had an internal debate over the right time to tell me."

That was what she got for marrying a genius. The Doctor. Her Doctor.

His wife giggled happily. "Yes, I'm pregnant. I found out yesterday after seeing a doctor. I'm two months pregnant!"

The words and realization had finally sunk in. He was going to be a father. He grinned happily.

Cupping her face with both his hands, he kissed her deeply. He couldn't be happier. He was probably the happiest man in the universe at this very moment.

"That's fantastic news!" he said once they pulled away.

Clara pushed him down. "Would have told you yesterday but the moment you walked through the door, you looked as if you're ready to sleep like the dead."

"You can blame that on my temporary job as head of school," John murmured as he captured her lips again.

He was in such a position to begin due to Missy being away in Singapore for a week. Kate would have been chosen as the acting head of school had she not been on sabbatical. His first day had started yesterday and who could blame John. He was busier than ever and once the day was over, he felt as if he could sleep for more than three days.

"Look on the bright side – it won't be long till our honeymoon to Rome," Clara said, straddling his lap before continuing to kiss him.

He moaned in response before speaking, "Are you sure we have time?"

"I don't see why we can't celebrate."

John stared at her with adoration before smiling. He still found it hard to believe he was married to such a woman. "I love you," he whispered, caressing her stomach. "Thank you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck before kissing his nose. "I love you, too, daft man."

He flipped over so that she was underneath him before he captured her lips.

"Looks who's excited now."

"I wasn't the one who started it!" her husband exclaimed before she pulled him down to her.

Nothing could spoil their happy mood that morning.

Clara couldn't believe she finally got her happy ending. She was married to the sweetest, kindest and dorkiest man in the world, pregnant, and pursuing her PhD.

John even felt the same way. He thought he would spend the rest of his life as a lonely old man but it seemed the universe had other plans. He was happily married, expecting their first child and loving his job more than ever before.

In the end, not had they only found love in one another but they had also mended each other's hearts.

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the kudos and awesome comments. I don't think I would have been able to complete this story without your incredible support. It has been a blast writing this story and I do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)


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